Tempted by the Fruit of Another
by Storywriter55
Summary: Neal and Sara struggle with their relationship and a woman from Neal's past returns tempting him to stray from his marriage vows. Part of the 'Milestones' series (5.3 years).
1. Chapter 1

**Tempted by the Fruit of Another**

**Chapter 1**

_Neal and Sara struggle with their relationship and a woman from Neal's past returns tempting him to stray from his marriage vows._

5.3 years

Neal turned in bed, reaching for his wife and finding an empty and cold spot in the sheets where she'd been a while before. He checked the time: 2:53 a.m. Maybe Liam had woken up and she'd gotten up to breastfeed him – although this wasn't his usual feeding time. Since his arrival five weeks before, little Liam had been a rather calm baby, a good sleeper in fact, and he didn't need to be fed quite as frequently as his big sister had. With Hope, they'd been lucky to get three consecutive hours of sleep at any point of the day or night whereas Liam usually went a good five hours without crying for his mom's breast.

Neal sat up in bed and decided to investigate; the house was quiet and he didn't want to wake Hope who was snoozing nearby. He made his way into Liam's room fully expecting to find Sara sitting in the rocking chair with him in her arms but what he found was little Liam sound asleep, his breathing calm and even. The mystery deepened and Neal made his way downstairs in search of his wife.

'What are you doing down here in the middle of the night?' he asked as he found her sitting at the kitchen table staring off into space

'I couldn't sleep. I thought I heard Liam and then I just couldn't get back to sleep' she said looking up at him

'Come back to bed' said Neal, coaxing 'You're going to be exhausted in the morning'

Sara shook her head, not even bothering with a verbal answer.

Neal made his way to where Sara was sitting and began to gently rub her shoulders.

'What's the matter, Repo? You haven't been yourself lately' he said, depositing a soft kiss on the top of her head

Sara gave him a non-committal shrug.

'C'mon, I have a sure way to put you to sleep' he said playfully, with a twinkle in his eye

'Neal!' she said dismissively 'I'm just going to sit here for a while then I'll come up. Go on; I'm fine' she said

All Neal could think of was that he was expected at his desk at Finch and John's first thing in the morning. As a matter of fact, he had a presentation to prepare for the Board of Directors' meeting at noon and he was far from finished with his preparation. He toddled back towards the stairs giving Sara one last 'come on' nod of the head which she chose to ignore, sending him on his way. Neal sank back into bed and was asleep within thirty seconds.

Although Liam had been born just five weeks earlier, Sara had been on maternity leave for several months already. Neal had been involved in a car accident in late February and had suffered a serious brain injury. Sara had been scheduled to start her leave in early May but she'd left her job precipitously to take care of him and now that July was right around the corner, she was home with both the kids while Neal had returned to work full time. It had definitely been a rough six months for the family and Liam's arrival had been the bright spot, something they had both been looking forward to now that Neal was on the mend.

Neal's recovery had been slow, his long term memory seriously impaired and he was still struggling with many aspects of his life. He had come to after the accident not remembering his life with his family and after a few months, he had managed to retrieve most of his memories around his early months and years with Sara and Hope. He still had large gaps in his recollection though, and he was often frustrated, continuing his therapy and his weekly visits to the Brain Injury Clinic at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Overall, tough, he was settled, Liam's arrival a large part of his recovery as he fell in love with his little boy, enjoying his first few weeks with his son.

Work was a welcome complement to Neal's life as a husband and father. He enjoyed his new job as an art authenticator with the large insurance company. He was the go-to guy anytime something was recovered and he took his role with his new employer very seriously. It also gave him a chance to handle some very high end art – not all treasures, mind you – but still some lovely pieces many of which Neal had studied over the years.

Neal still maintained his connections with the New York White Collar Unit. Not only was Peter Burke his best friend and confidant, he continued to work occasionally for the department, mostly consulting on cases and sometimes doing the odd stint in the field even going undercover from time to time. No matter what else was going on in Neal's life, he would always enjoy the adrenaline rush he felt in the field and although he was certainly more careful about the choices he made, he still indulged in his guilty pleasure from time to time.

The phone rang on his desk as Neal was putting the finishing touches on his power-point presentation and he absent-mindedly reached out to answer.

'Neal Caffrey' he said into the phone

'Hey buddy, how's it going?' answered the familiar voice on the other end

'Peter, hi' Neal said as he continued banging away at the last few details on his computer

'Do you have any time next week to do a small job for me?' asked his mentor rather cryptically

'Okay, that sounds mysterious. What's up?' asked Neal. He was always up for a little adventure and intrigue.

'We got an anonymous call from a fence. He wants to share some intel but he asked specifically for a meeting with you'

'Oh yeah?' said Neal, his chest puffing ever so slightly

'I can see you preening from here' said Peter 'It's just a meet, not the Nobel prize, Neal'

'Sure, I can do it' Neal responded, slightly deflated 'Set it up and let me know when'

WCWCWC

Matthew Keller sat outside the 'Food Emporium' in Chicopee, New York waiting for his mark to leave the store. It was just past noon and he expected her to make an appearance in the next few minutes as she took her lunch break. He'd been researching Michelle Young for the past few weeks and he was fairly certain she would be the perfect means in his quest to bring down the great Neal Caffrey a peg or two. After all, everyone had a price and the pretty Ms Young looked pretty down on her luck.

Ever since they had parted ways in Italy, Keller had been looking for ways to mess with the life of his ex-partner – the holier than thou Neal Caffrey. They had come from similar backgrounds, neglected by their parents in their youth and upon hooking up, they had discovered they were kindred spirits, both concluding that if they wanted things in life, they should just reach out and take them. They'd had a ball making their way through Europe, evading the police, pulling off heists and essentially living the good life. But at some point, Neal had gone soft on him, rebuking violence as a means to an end and Keller had been monitoring Neal's activities ever since, jealous of the fact that the ex-con had made a good life for himself. Neal had a great job, he'd gotten married and had a couple of kids and he had everyone, including his buddy Peter Burke at the FBI, eating out of the palm of his hand. Charmed life – that's what Caffrey was living and he didn't deserve any of it. Anything Keller could do to disrupt this perfect little middle-class life Neal had carved out for himself would give him a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction.

His last heist had given him a nice little nest egg and he couldn't think of a better way to spend a portion of it than by getting the revenge he so wanted.

He continued tracking the lovely Ms Young as she made her way to the nearby coffee shop just like she'd done every other day for the past week. Keller stepped out of the car and made his way inside.

WCWCWC

Neal came up the driveway and he could hear Liam crying loudly even before he set foot in the house. It was jarring to hear the loud baby cries and he hastened his step, reaching the front door in record time. He was somewhat stunned by what he found when he walked in. Hope was sitting at the kitchen table by herself, drawing, and Sara sat on the couch in the family room blankly staring at the television set. The cries continued unanswered.

'What's going on in here?' he asked looking from Hope to Sara 'Don't you hear Liam?'

Sara looked up, eyes slightly glazed over 'Of course I _hear_ him Neal, I've tried everything to get him to stop'

Neal turned on his heels and headed up the stairs towards the baby's room, finding his son lying on his back, wailing, face wet and red and kicking up a storm. He bent down to pick him up and bring him to his chest, cradling the infant, instantly calming him as he spoke. He was soaked, and Neal looked down at his dress shirt as a wet stain began to spread across his chest.

'You're all wet Liam' he said calmly as the baby struggled to catch his breath

He changed his diaper and his sleeper and brought him over to his own bedroom, putting him down on the bed as he changed into some casual clothes. Liam cooed on the bed turning his blond head towards his dad. They made their way back downstairs, the baby finally quiet and calm.

'He was wet, Sara' Neal said, an impatient edge to his voice as he spoke

'Neal, I changed him just over an hour ago and he just wouldn't settle' Sara answered, her voice raised and looking totally overwhelmed by the situation

Hope looked on with concern. It wasn't often she heard her parents argue – as a matter of fact they were notorious lovebirds. Sure, they bantered frequently, trying to outdo each other but always with humor and always ending with a kiss or a nuzzle. This was totally new to her and she wasn't quite sure how to react.

Neal continued cradling Liam against him, the baby seemingly content and he began to look through the refrigerator in the hopes of getting some inspiration for dinner. Sara continued to look on, despondent.

Neal had never seen his wife like this before. She was wearing the same pajamas she'd had on that morning and he deduced that she hadn't even had a shower. He was beginning to worry about her, she hadn't been herself for the past few weeks. He tried to think back to a particular moment in time when he'd started to notice a change in her but the past month had just been so hectic with Liam's arrival, Neal's medical appointments, school letting out and his return to work that the whole thing was just a blur.

'Neal, you don't know what it's like' Sara continued, rising from the couch and walking towards him in the kitchen 'I'm home with the kids all day, every day while you're off... whatever you're doing...'

'Sara, I'm out earning a living, _that's _what I'm doing' Neal answered as he continued to poke around the fridge

'Looks like take-out for dinner _again_ tonight' he sighed as he finally gave up

Sara rolled her eyes at his apparent slight and turned away.

WCWCWC

'May I help you?' Michelle said as she looked up at the stranger standing directly in front of her table

'No, but I think I can help you' Matthew Keller answered rather cryptically as he pulled out a chair and sat down uninvited

'Look, buddy, I don't know who you are but I did not invite you to sit at my table so please...'

'Michelle, Michelle, Michelle, give me a chance to explain and if you don't like what I have to say then I'll take a hike' answered Keller

Her face changed at the mention of her name and she was instantly curious as to who this man was and what he wanted. It wouldn't hurt to listen – she was in the middle of a busy café in the middle of the day; what could he possibly do to her?

'Alright, you've got two minutes before I ask that big burly guy at the cash to kick your ass out of here. Talk' she said as she crossed her arms defiantly across her chest

Keller smiled at this. She had rough edges, that was for sure and they would be very useful for the little mission he had for her. He studied the woman sitting across from him. She'd obviously fallen on hard times as of late but she was very pretty, blond, blue eyed with a great body. He knew from researching her that, despite the dreams she'd had as a young woman, life had not been kind to her. She had fallen for a real prince, a guy who mistreated her for years before dumping her and running off with a woman half her age. She was now working at the local grocery store, no doubt making minimum wage but it was obvious that she still had an eye for expensive things as evidenced by her manicured hands and fancy hair cut. She must be blowing a good part of that meagre income on those indulgences, thought Keller.

He placed an envelope on the table between them and pushed it closer to the woman. Her eyes went from Keller's face to the small package and she didn't hesitate as she looked inside. Her face became instantly illuminated as she spied the stack of bills tucked in the envelope.

'That's $10,000 for you just for agreeing to do a little job for me' he said, leering at her

'Look, buddy, I don't know who you think I am but I have no interest in getting between the sheets with you for any amount of money' she said as she pushed the envelope back towards him

'Michelle, you've got me all wrong. I just want you to reconnect with an old flame of yours, that's all' explained Keller

'An old flame?' she asked. Now, he had her curious

This $10,000 is yours plus another three grand to get yourself some nice clothes and if you carry out the job to my satisfaction, there'll be another $10,000 at the end of the job'

Now, he had Michelle's attention. Twenty thousand bucks and a new wardrobe all for catching up with an old boyfriend. That sounded like a fun way to spend some time.

'So, which one of my old boyfriends are we talking about?' she asked

'Neal Caffrey' he answered with a sneer

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'Are you and Mommy getting a divorce?' Hope asked as Neal tucked her in for the night

'What? Whatever gave you that idea?' asked Neal

'Amy Miller said her parents are always fighting and now _they're _getting a divorce' uttered Hope

'No, honey, no. Mommy and I don't always agree on everything, that's all. That doesn't mean we don't love each other. People have arguments all the time' Neal clarified

Hope looked up into his eyes, uncertain whether or not to believe him.

'Look, I've seen you and Olivia fight lots of times. Remember when she accidentally broke your Hello Kitty keychain. You were really mad! Did you stop wanting to be her friend?' asked Neal

Hope shook her head remembering the unfortunate incident.

'But Mommy's always crying' she said

'Mommy cries when I'm not here?' This was the first Neal had heard of this.

'Yeah and she looks sad all the time' said the worried child

Neal pulled Hope in against his chest, ruffling her hair.

'It's not easy to take care of a baby. I think Mommy's just tired. Don't worry okay?' Neal said, hoping to reassure his daughter

'Maybe I can help her more' she said, eyes alight

'Hope, you don't have to do anything. Just be your usual sweet self, okay and let me take care of Mommy' he said, tugging at her nose and pulling the blankets up to her chin

'Goodnight Daddy'

'Good night, sweet pea'

Neal made it to bed and noticed Sara, once again with her back to him – her usual pose as of late. He slid under the blankets and slipped his arm around her waist, spooning her and pulling her close. He instantly felt her body stiffen under his touch and he cringed at her response. They hadn't been connecting lately – on any level. Neal and Sara had always had a fantastic sex life, even when she was pregnant – especially when she was pregnant. He thought back to the last few weeks trying to remember the last time they'd been intimate. It was before Liam was even born, he realized – as a matter of fact, the night before he was born and again on the morning she'd gone into labor he recalled with a small smile. The last few weeks had been hectic and Neal hadn't given it much thought but it was going on five weeks and they'd never had a five week dry spell – ever.

'Sara, honey, talk to me' he said, his arm still snaked around her waist

'I'm tired, Neal' she answered not bothering to turn around

'We have to talk, Sara. I'm worried about you' he insisted, pulling her close

'I'm tired! What more can I say. You try staying home, day in day out, with two kids and see how you do' she answered, rather sharply

'Maybe you need a bit of a break. Why don't we plan a night out? I'm sure Peter and Elizabeth would be happy to stay with the kids' suggested Neal

He felt her shrug against his body but he wasn't giving up.

'Come on, what do you say? Saturday night, date night, you and me. Do you remember our first date after Hope was born?' he asked, recalling the great time they'd had and moving in to kiss her neck

She let out a small laugh although it sounded rather forced. Of course she remembered. Neal had taken her out to dinner at the Auden Bistro in the Ritz Carlton and they had gotten so carried away – well, she'd gotten so carried away – that they had to take a room at the hotel. Sara'd had a little too much to drink and she hadn't been able to keep her hands off Neal and they had spent a wild night in room 1503 of the hotel as they reconnected. Things had seemed so simple back then. They had a beautiful little baby girl and they had each other; why were things so complicated this time around, she wondered.

'I guess' she finally relented

She loved her husband but, lately, nothing appealed to her, not even his loving touch which she normally hungered for. She had given birth to their miracle baby and she couldn't understand why she felt so empty when she held him in her arms. Add to that the guilt she felt about the way she was feeling and she just couldn't tell anyone what was going on, especially not Neal who was just coming out of a rough patch himself.

Maybe a night out would help; it was certainly worth a try.

WCWCWC

Michelle Young sat in the luxurious spa as she was attended to by estheticians and manicurists. This was the life! She hadn't been able to treat herself to much in the way of creature comforts the last few years and this was a most welcome change from her humdrum life.

She thought back to Neal Caffrey and her first meeting with him. She remembered how he'd caught her eye when he'd walked into that very first art class. He was young and gorgeous; those blue eyes so clear and full of mischief. They were barely twenty years old, both searching for a meaning to life when they met up at the School of Visual Arts. They both shared an interest in painting and had high hopes for the future but Neal had talent, real talent that he continued to hone as the semester progressed. She remembered the teacher, an older woman, raving about Neal's talent and technique but it had become obvious that she was also interested in Neal, the man. Who wouldn't be attracted to him – that smile, those eyes and that way he had of making every woman feel like she was the only one in the room. Neal had flirted with the woman, taking full advantage of her interest in him but he'd only had eyes for Michelle.

'_Why do you indulge her?' Michelle asked as they lay in bed one lazy Sunday morning_

'_What? No harm in flirting. She might be able to help me with my career' he answered as he nuzzled her neck_

'_Are you sleeping with her?' asked Michelle. Although their relationship was casual, she didn't like the idea of sharing this gorgeous man with a cougar_

'_No! I'm not a prostitute!' answered Neal, offended. 'A little harmless flirting never hurt!' he added, moving his lips to hers, his intention clear_

The lovemaking had been amazing. They were young and they had a lot in common. Neal had arrived in New York two years before and had been doing odd jobs here and there – not always on the up and up and she was still struggling with what she wanted to do with her life as she waitressed at a local restaurant. But they fit well together and the sex was mind-blowing so the relationship had evolved into a comfortable 'friends with benefits' arrangement which suited them both just fine.

Neal had been full of dreams for the future and she admired his ability to turn any situation into a winning situation – he had charisma and an ability to make you believe anything he wanted you to believe.

She thought back to how they had drifted apart over time; it had happened so naturally that she couldn't remember any particular moment where they had decided to part company. They just gradually went their separate ways until they were no longer seeing each other. She had moved on to another guy she'd met at work and suddenly Neal wasn't around quite as much.

It would be a kick to see him again, that's for sure. In two days, she'd be in New York City again and she was going to take full advantage of this little escapade. Keller had gotten her a gorgeous room at The Plaza Hotel and she looked forward to playing the role of a successful interior designer – the cover Keller had given her. Breaking up Neal Caffrey's marriage was a challenge she was looking forward to.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment.

WCWCWC

When Neal asked for their help, Peter and Elizabeth were more than happy to oblige. They'd been caregivers to Hope on more occasions than they could count; how much harder could it be to take care of two kids rather than one? They offered to come to White Plains so the Caffreys wouldn't have to shuttle the kids all the way to Brooklyn and as Sara and Neal prepared to leave, Peter took his buddy aside.

'Look, El and I are happy to spend the night on the pull out if you guys decide to stay out all night. Get a nice room at one of the big hotels – treat yourselves' he said quietly, out of earshot of the women

Neal smiled at the offer. It sounded like sage advice and he had purposefully chosen the Ritz Carlton again hoping to rekindle memories of the wonderful time they'd had there five years before. Although he hadn't confided his concerns regarding Sara, Peter was a top notch investigator and Neal realized that he must have been unknowingly sending out his worry vibes to his best friend.

Dinner was nice; Sara had a glass of Chardonnay and she seemed to be relaxing a bit. She had pulled out one of her stylish dresses from before her pregnancy and Neal had helped zip her up and put on her necklace. He was craving the physical intimacy which normally flowed so easily between them. Except for the period when Sara was having her chemotherapy treatments, she had never pushed him away like she'd been doing the past few weeks. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms, feel her against his body but it wasn't just the sex – alright it was a little bit the sex – but more so the intimacy that he missed, the laughter and the easy banter they'd always shared.

Neal hoped they could have a frank and open discussion over dinner and finally clear the air; there had been a lot of tension in their household the last few weeks. Hope's comments had him worried; if Sara was that unhappy, something was definitely going on.

'How's the sea bass?' Neal asked trying to get the conversation going

'Good, as usual. You?' she responded pointing to Neal's plate of shrimp risotto

'Delicious' he responded

'Sara, look at me' Neal said, finally

Sara looked up, her eyes expressionless. Neal took her hand in his.

'I'm really worried about you. You don't seem happy lately' he said, a statement more than a question

'It's just a rough patch, Neal, I told you. I feel like you're on my case all the time' she answered pulling her hand away

'Sara, I love you and I care about how you feel but you have to tell me what's going on here. I'm going out of my mind. Are you sick?' He thought back to how Sara had pushed him away when she'd been suffering through her chemotherapy treatments, unable to accept his help and support.

'No, Neal, I'm not sick' she responded

He breathed a sigh of relief. 'Is it me? Have I done something to upset you?'

'No, no, of course not. It's not you' she answered with emotion in her voice

'Then what is it? It's something. Is it Liam?' he asked although he couldn't imagine how their beautiful baby boy could be causing her such anguish

'No, Liam's ... Liam's great. It's just everything... I feel like the walls are closing in on me' she finally admitted as she returned to her plate

Those were the most words she had managed to string together in a number of weeks and Neal was encouraged that she was beginning to open up.

'Can I do something to make it better? Do you need me to take time off work?' he asked, trying to re-establish eye contact with her

'That's ridiculous, Neal. We don't both need to be at home' she answered dismissively in that way she had of shutting him out

Suddenly, Sara was feeling trapped by the conversation. If she knew what was really bothering her, she'd willingly tell Neal just to get him off her back – all she knew was that she just wasn't getting the warm fuzzy feeling she should be having when she had her son in her arms. All she saw when she looked at Liam was a dependent little person who relied on her for everything and she felt like all the energy was being sucked out of her.

Sara's curt answer threw Neal off and he got sidetracked for a moment. It was almost as if she was trying to pick a fight with him and wouldn't be happy until he lost his cool and he really didn't want that to happen.

'Then tell me. Anything, I'll do anything –' he continued a most un-Neal Caffrey like tone to his voice

Neal had never begged for anything in his life – things always came easily to him and if not, he knew how to get what he wanted every time. But this was Sara, his wife, his life partner, the person with whom he shared his deepest darkest secrets, the woman who knew him inside and out and who despite his shortcomings, loved him unconditionally. He wasn't about to let her push him away.

'Stop it, Neal. You're driving me crazy' she finally said, shutting him down once more

Neal took a deep breath. He had planned a nice evening and he was determined to break through whatever wall Sara was building around herself.

'Look, we don't have to talk. Let's just enjoy dinner and then maybe we can go dancing up at the bar' he said, patiently

Sara nodded but seemed unconvinced. She loved Neal but even his beautiful blue eyes looking longingly at her weren't doing it for her right now.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Neal held Sara close to him as they danced and he could feel her trembling slightly in his arms. He pulled her in a little tighter noticing how skinny she was getting; he could feel her ribs through her dress. He spoke gently in her ear as the mellow voice of Michael Bublé played in the background.

'Are you cold?' he asked

He could feel her shaking her head against his neck.

'I've really missed holding you in my arms, Sara' he whispered, running his hand up and down her back and feeling her begin to relax

She pulled away, looking into those deep blue eyes and giving him a small smile. He felt good against her too, strong and sturdy and she let herself soften somewhat to his touch. She loved him, of course she did, but she just wasn't feeling that excitement she'd always felt when he held her in the past, that anticipation, that exhilaration. And yet, he was the same wonderful Neal he'd always been, attentive, loving, caring – why couldn't she get that feeling back?

Since Neal had been in her life, he'd been a constant source of excitement and adventure. Even after all this time, she still got butterflies just seeing him walk into a room and whenever he touched her, she melted, always. Lately, it was as if everything in her life was muted, as if it was all in black in white whereas before it had been in glorious technicolor and she just couldn't get excited about anything.

'While you were in the ladies room, I booked us a room upstairs. Is that okay?' he asked as the music continued

'Sure' she replied without much enthusiasm. Neal had gone to a lot of trouble and she had to make an effort, she thought. She forced herself to smile at him once again and she put her head back on his shoulder, trying to relax.

By eleven o'clock, they made their way up to the room – familiar room 1503, where they'd stayed twice before. It embodied nothing but good memories for the two of them and Neal hoped that by just being in the room, Sara would relax and enjoy being with him. The place looked the same and Sara made her way to the window to look out at the Manhattan skyline. She felt awkward as if she was expected to 'put out' after Neal spent all this money on their date and she immediately shook off that feeling. He was her husband and he loved her; he'd understand if she explained that she just wasn't up to having sex.

Neal made his way to her side, putting his arms around her waist and placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder. Whatever was making Sara miserable, he wanted to be there for her; he just wanted a chance to reconnect somehow and find his wife underneath all that pain and anguish. He gently turned her around to face him, suddenly nervous as if it was their first time – not wanting to presume anything yet wanting her oh so badly. Sara took his face in her hands bringing his lips to hers and Neal began to relax – this was the Sara he knew and loved, _his Sara_. He deepened the kiss, immediately sensing that she was pulling away.

'Look, Sara, we're not sixteen, here. I'm a sure thing, okay? If you want me, that is. Whatever you want; just tell me what's going on. Please' Neal said softly pulling her over to sit on the edge of the bed

'Neal, I can't explain it. Maybe it's hormones, I don't know. _Nothing_ feels right lately' she said, genuinely trying to connect with her husband for the first time in weeks.

As she said the last few words, she suddenly began to sob, letting herself dissolve into Neal's arms. The poor guy was just trying to help and she realized she kept giving him a hard time. He hadn't done anything to make her feel this way and he didn't deserve to be taking the brunt of whatever was eating at her.

'Whatever it is, Sara, we can work through this together. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere' Neal said, reassuringly as he rubbed her back

She was tired, so very tired so they prepared for bed with Sara finding that familiar place in Neal's arms. It felt safe and she wished she could just stay there and hide until whatever had a hold of her went away. She turned to face Neal and looking into his eyes, she realized once again how loving and understanding he was and she kissed him, chastely at first, then more hungrily, trying desperately to get that feeling back, the one she'd been chasing for a few weeks.

Neal responded in kind, tentatively at first then as she continued to react positively, he began to moan, reaching for her hips and pulling her up on top of him. He thought she looked so beautiful with the moonlight streaming in and he began to palm her hips and buttocks, his desire for his wife continuing to escalate. Encouraged by her response, he began to roll his hips more insistently, feeling that familiar longing that had been building up for the past few weeks. Sara continued kissing him, eventually putting her head down on his chest and suddenly, he could feel her trembling as she started to cry once more. He stopped abruptly, his enthusiasm suddenly short circuited and he pulled her up to see her face.

'It's okay, you can keep going' she said as she tried to muffle her cries

He let out a sardonic laugh. 'Sara, this isn't something I'm doing TO you' he declared, pulling her off of him and settling her back in his arms. She'd had a variety of reactions during lovemaking in the past ranging from languid passion to eager and athletic enthusiasm but she'd never reacted quite like this and Neal's concern grew as he lay there, cradling her.

Sara sobbed for a while, not speaking and she finally fell asleep exhausted as Neal lay totally shocked and confused. Something was very wrong with his wife and whether she realized it or not, she needed help to get better.

It was his job to see to it that she got that help.

WCWCWC

Michelle Young stepped off the train at Grand Central Station and made her way to the front of the building to hail a cab. New York pulsated around her and she suddenly felt energized. She hadn't been in the Big Apple for almost ten years and she marvelled at how things were just as she remembered them: exciting and full of life. Matthew Keller had arranged to meet her at the hotel and she thought about the man, how smarmy and creepy he was. She tried to keep her contacts with him to a minimum; she knew she had to make an effort to put up with him since he was her meal ticket. She thought of the $10,000 in her bank account and all the fun she was going to have spending in.

She leaned over the seat in the cab and spoke to the driver: 'The Plaza, please'

WCWCWC

Neal sat in his office at Finch and Johns as he finished up a report on a recovered item; it had been a slow day and it was just about time to take a break for lunch. Ever since their night out, all he could think about was Sara and how much she was suffering. She had refused his offer to take a few days off work and when Sara got something in her head, there was no going back. He resolved to keep a close eye and see how he could help his wife get through this rough period; he wanted to talk to El about it and see if she had any advice. After all, she was Sara's best friend and he knew she could be trusted to do whatever she could to help.

He instinctively picked up the phone to check on things at home and was surprised when Hope answered on the first ring.

'Hey, sweet pea! How's it going?' he asked his daughter

'Hi Daddy!' she answered

'What are you guys up to today?' he asked

'Olivia invited me over this afternoon; we're going to play at the park' she said, sounding rather pleased with the plan

'Good. Can I talk to Mommy?' Neal asked

'Mommy's sleeping' answered Hope

'Sleeping? Have you had lunch?' he asked, somewhat alarmed that Hope was being left to her own devices

'No' she said, plainly

'Go wake Mommy up, okay?' Neal said

'Alright' she answered as he heard her put down the phone

He could hear her calling for Sara in the distance and after what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, Sara's sleepy voice came on the line.

'Hi' said Neal, keeping his emotions in check. This was most certainly not business as usual and the more time passed, the more his concern was growing.

'Hey' was all she said

'Everything okay over there?' he asked but of course he knew it wasn't, even if she didn't. How _could it be_ when she was sleeping in the middle of the day, leaving two young children unattended?

'Yeah, just tired' she responded. This seemed like her stock answer for everything these days.

'Hope says she's going over to Olivia's this afternoon. Have you guys had lunch, yet?' he asked, knowing full well the answer to his question

'No, not yet' she said, not offering any more of an explanation

'Look, things are slow here. Why don't I come home and get us all organized for lunch and you can rest while I take care of Liam?' he offered

'Okay' she said, her voice flat, so unlike the woman he knew so well

Neal spent the afternoon catching up on e-mails while keeping an ear out for Liam. Sara had eaten barely half of the sandwich he'd put in front of her and she had promptly gone back to bed for another nap.

On a whim, he decided to fire up his trusty search engine and began to type in 'depression after childbirth'. Whatever was eating Sara, she was certainly not the only woman who had exhibited signs of despondency after having a baby. Neal was shocked as website after website popped up under the 'post-partum depression' heading. He'd heard the term but he was never quite sure what it was – he'd always assumed it applied to women who gave birth to babies they hadn't really wanted but as he read, he could see his interpretation was way off. He continued reading the list of symptoms, recognizing the numerous indicators that applied to his wife: irritability, crying, sadness, fatigue, changes in appetite, difficulty sleeping, lack of interest and enjoyment of things that usually brought joy.

How had he missed this? The explanations included guilt around feeling some rejection towards the newborn and Neal stopped at this momentarily. He had noticed that Sara wasn't taking much pleasure in breastfeeding or spending time with Liam. This was in direct contrast to how she had been with Hope the first few months, loving, caring and absolutely in love with their daughter.

It didn't make any sense to Neal – they had wanted this second baby so badly and Sara had been very disappointed month after month when she couldn't get pregnant. She loved Liam but this thing, this post-partum depression, was standing in her way.

He scrolled down to the various treatments for PPD as it was called, noting that counselling and medication were recommended. Every website he read said the same thing: treatment was essential to recovery. He took a deep breath as his suspicions began to take root. Sara Ellis was the most hard-headed woman he had ever met and he thought ahead to the struggle he would have getting her to even admit to this let alone getting her to accept treatment.

He noticed that one of the factors leading to PPD was a recent trauma and he thought back to the last six months, his memory loss and his hospital stay. At one point, he had even moved out of the house and back to June's as he tried to put the pieces of his life back together again. Sara had been totally despondent at his leaving and had even ended up in hospital, her pregnancy at risk. Upon reading this, he began to feel responsible for having triggered this deep depression Sara was experiencing.

Sara had been there for him without fail and he was going to find a way to support her through this, no matter what. Neal thought ahead to the days and weeks ahead. He had to fix this, he thought, the future of his family depended on it.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was Sunday afternoon and Neal had taken Hope and Liam over to the Burkes for a visit in order to give Sara a bit of a break before the week started again. The adults sat in the back yard while Hope played in the sandbox Peter had built for her and Liam slept nearby in his baby carrier. Neal was feeling overwhelmed by the events of the past week and he needed some helpful advice to work things out.

'So, how's Sara doing?' asked Elizabeth sensing something was up

'I wish I knew' said Neal with a heavy sigh

'I notice she hasn't been her usual self lately' said Elizabeth before Neal could raise his concerns

'And it's only getting worse, El. I've been doing some research about post partum depression and she's got some pretty classic symptoms: depression, irritability, crying, fatigue'

'A friend of mine at work had PPD and it was horrible until she got some help – then things worked themselves out' volunteered Elizabeth

'Have you tried talking to her about it?' asked Peter, a little out of his depth with the subject at hand

'I'm having trouble connecting with her – which is not like us' said Neal, his voice sad

He stopped and looked at Peter and Elizabeth and they could both see the anguish and desperation in Neal's eyes. He was totally overwhelmed by this turn of events not knowing how he was going to help his wife through this and look after the kids at the same time – all the while keeping down a full time job.

'I hate to say it but I'm not sure she's in any shape to properly care for the kids' he added, his voice low so Hope couldn't hear 'I came home the other day and Liam was wailing and Sara just couldn't cope'

'How can we help?' asked Elizabeth, reaching out to touch his hand

Neal shrugged and shook his head.

'I think I'm going to take a few days off work and stay home – although she'll probably bite my head off when I tell her' he answered

Elizabeth looked at her husband and turned her eyes back to Neal: 'What about if I convince her to come and spend a few days here to take a break from the kids? Would that help?'

'Yeah, in the short term but I still need to find a way to get her some professional help. I made an appointment with Dr. Cooper, her OB-GYN, and I'm seeing her tomorrow. She knows Sara well and I'm sure she can give me some good advice' Neal said

Just talking about it seemed to help – now all he had to do was convince Sara.

WCWCWC

'So, Neal, unless you've had a carefully hidden sex-change operation, I take it you're here to discuss a concern you have regarding Sara?' she said

Dr. Cooper had known Sara for twenty years and Neal had gotten to know her through both of Sara's pregnancies. She was a lovely woman who liked to joke around to diffuse difficult situations and he appreciated her off-kilter sense of humor.

Neal smiled and took a deep breath.

'Sara's been depressed since Liam was born and it's getting worse' he said

Dr. Cooper leaned in to listen, all humor set aside.

'Depressed? How?' she asked

'She's always tired, non-communicative, she cries a lot, she avoids the baby and me for that matter'

'Sex?'

Neal scoffed. 'Nada, no interest. And she won't talk to me, keeps saying she's just tired'

'Sounds like some classic symptoms of post-partum depression but I'm guessing you already figured that out, huh?' she said, her voice low

Neal nodded.

'I'm worried about her and the kids. Nothing seems to matter to her – all the things that used to be fun...' Neal let his voice trail

'Alright, well perhaps we could start with getting her in to see me. She might be more open to discussing all this with a professional. Chances are she doesn't want to worry you' said Dr. Cooper

'Dr. Cooper, I feel responsible. I read online that a trauma, especially during the third trimester, can lead to post-partum depression. I was seriously injured in February and we've had a really tough time getting through the last six months. I feel like this is all my fault'

'Neal, post-partum happens to thousands of women and it is treatable. You can't go blaming yourself. I know for a fact that you love Sara and your kids very much so let's focus on what we can do to help her. Do you think you can get her to agree to come and see me?'

'Maybe' he said, then he continued 'I'll find a way' he said, more decisively

WCWCWC

Neal sat in the lobby of The Plaza Hotel taking in the comings and goings. He loved 'people watching' and over the years, he had perfected the knack of deducing a great deal about people and their motivations just by observing them. He saw a man walk up to the reception desk with a young woman on his arm. He was in his sixties and he gently held the twenty-something woman's elbow as he made his way to check-in – obviously an extra-marital affair, Neal noted. He could see a business woman talking on her cell phone a few feet away and although he couldn't hear what she was saying, her face was soft and her cadence slow – probably checking in with her kids in a faraway city.

He glanced at his watch. This 'mystery' fence was taking his sweet time, he thought. The meet was scheduled for 11:30 and it was past 11:40. He took another cursory glance around the lobby, noticing a pretty blond woman, dressed in a business suit. She was slowly making her way towards him when their eyes met followed by instant recognition.

'Neal? Neal Caffrey?' she said as she walked right up to him

'Michelle, hi!' said Neal, rising from the comfortable couch

'It's been...' she began

'... a long time' he added, taking in the sight of his ex-girlfriend

She looked up at him with a radiant smile and put out her arms to invite a hug, rather awkwardly as ex-lovers do after a long time apart. He reciprocated, a polite hug, not too long, just long enough.

'What are you doing here?' she asked 'Are you staying here at the hotel?'

'No, no, I'm here for a meeting. I still live in New York. You?' he asked

'I'm here for a few days to meet a client' she volunteered 'I work as an interior designer'

'Nice' said Neal, looking her up and down. She looked fantastic; the years had been kind to her and he hoped, rather vainly, that she was thinking the same about him. He needn't have wondered.

'You look amazing, Neal' she said, touching his arm lightly 'You work out!'

'Ah, just trying to delay the inevitable, you know... middle age spread and all' he said, shrugging but nonetheless pleased with the compliment

'Look, I'm here for a few days. Why don't we get together for lunch while I'm here?' she said not waiting for an answer. 'Do you have a pen?' she asked

He awkwardly reached for a pen in his jacket, handing it to her as he spoke.

'I don't know' he said, hesitantly 'I've got a lot going on right now...' (My wife is having a nervous breakdown and I'm trying to take care of my kids and work full time while she continues to push me away, he reflected, hating himself for thinking that way about his present predicament)

'Ah, c'mon' she said, flashing her smile 'Lunch, Neal – we have a lot to catch up on'

'I'll let you know' he said, rather clumsily as she handed him her business card with her cell phone number on the back

She tugged gently at his lapel and gave him another winning smile as she walked away. Neal turned to watch her leave as she made her way to the elevators.

WCWCWC

'He never showed up, Peter' said Neal as he sat across his ex-boss in his office of the White Collar Unit

'That's really strange, maybe he got spooked' answered Peter

'Well, regardless, I should make my way home. I'm going to spring the whole 'How about a few days of rest at the Burkes' idea on Sara. Wish me luck!'

WCWCWC

Neal came downstairs after having put the kids to bed and found Sara finishing up in the kitchen, wiping down the counters and loading up the dishwasher. These days, it seemed that everything she did took her three times longer than it normally would; she moved slowly, lethargic and he could see in her face that every little thing seemed like an overwhelming chore. He walked over and stood by her until she had no choice but to look up at him.

'Hey' he said, putting out his hand 'Come here'

Sara frowned wondering what he wanted as she let herself be dragged over to the couch in the family room where Neal promptly sat, pulling her onto his lap. She smiled indulgently but as were all her smiles lately, it was forced and unnatural.

'We need to talk' said Neal as he began rubbing her back

'Do you love me?' he asked, a surprising question from the usually very confident man

'Of course I love you, Neal, I told you, I'm just...'

'Tired, I know you're always tired. Sara, something's not right and we both know it. Do you trust me?' he asked trying desperately to connect with his wife

Sara was already getting emotional at the hot button topic of conversation – she was on the edge of tears every minute of every day lately. She nodded through the tears.

'I only want what's best for you, for us, for the kids, you do know that, right' he continued

She nodded again, having difficulty speaking.

'We need help to get through this – whatever 'this' is. I'm not sure what kind of help but I want us to make a start because we can't go on like this. You're unhappy, my heart is breaking and Hope is – well, she's smart – and she's wondering what's going on. And Liam, Liam needs his mommy back; he deserves that' Neal said, staring into her eyes

'But –' Sara began speaking but instead it came out as blubbering 'I don't want to feel like this, I'm not choosing to feel like this. I miss you, I miss us, I just... I just don't know how to make this better.' She took a deep gulp of air, trying to control her breathing. 'Every day, when I wake up... I tell myself... today's going to be different... I _choose _to be happy but then, I can't control it and... '

'That's why we need help, sweetie. Because I don't know how to fix this either but all I can tell you is you're not the first woman to feel like this after having a baby and there is help available' Neal said, remaining calm

Sara was exhausted, tired of putting up a front, tired of getting out of bed every day, tired of coming up with excuses for her behavior, tired of fighting it. Her arms instinctively went around Neal's neck and he pulled her in tight, feeling the tears stinging his eyes as he held her. He wanted his wife back and he was going to do all he could to make her feel better.

'I need you to do two things for me' he said finally, pulling her away to look into her reddened eyes

She looked at him questioningly, waiting for him to continue.

'First off, I think you need to take El up on her offer and go and stay at the Burkes for a few days. I'll take care of everything here, the house, the kids. You just go and try to get some distance from all this' Neal said

Sara began to argue but Neal cut her off almost immediately.

'No buts, Sara, you need this, you need a break' he repeated, insistent

'What's the second thing?' she asked, her voice shaky

'I want you to come with me and see Dr. Cooper. I made an appointment for us on Thursday'

Sara took in a deep breath. She was normally a very private, self-sufficient person and the thought of having to share what was troubling her with someone else was upsetting. But she was also smart and she knew that despite her best intentions, she didn't seem to be able to kick this thing that had a hold on her and to Neal's surprise, she stared into his eyes.

'Okay' she said quietly 'Will you do something for me?'

'Anything' he said and he meant it more than he'd ever meant anything in his life

'Will you hold me?' she asked

Neal let out a small laugh as he pulled her in and held her oh so tight, tighter than tight. They stayed that way for a very long time.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

First thing Wednesday morning, Neal took both the children over to the Masons, their friends and neighbors, and helped Sara pack a few things for her little vacation at Hotel Burke in Brooklyn. Despite the connection they'd experienced the night before, she had reverted to hiding in her shell and he didn't want to push it, hanging on to the fact that they had an appointment with Dr. Cooper the next day; it was a faint light at the end of what appeared to be a very long tunnel.

He put her bag in the car and helped Sara in, not noticing the non-descript van parked across the street – the van where Matthew Keller sat watching the comings and goings in the Caffrey household. His obsession with Neal was unhealthy, he knew it, but he couldn't help himself it seemed. Although he reasoned that whatever Neal did with his life should have no impact on his own, the reality was that he was envious and jealous of his ex-partner and he harbored a very strong vengeful streak that he couldn't quite control. It just wasn't right that Neal should have all these things and Keller just wanted him to realize just how easily he could lose it all, how quickly it could all just slip away.

He noted with interest that Neal was carrying a small suitcase as he stepped out of the house and he hoped that they weren't going away somewhere together – that just wasn't part of the plan. He put the van in motion and began to slowly follow the Caffrey's car as it made its way across the bridge towards Brooklyn.

'Welcome' said Elizabeth, her arms open as Neal and Sara stepped into the house

'Alright, this is just weird' answered Sara as she stepped in with Neal following close behind her

'It isn't' insisted Elizabeth 'You need a break and I have a few days off; you'll see it'll be fine' she said hugging her friend

'So' Neal said as he put down the bag and turned to face Sara. Suddenly, she looked like a frightened little girl being dropped off on the first day of camp.

Sara gave him a small smile.

'I'll bring the kids by for a visit tonight, okay?' he said running his hands up and down Sara's arms in an effort to reassure her

Sara nodded and looked into his eyes. 'I'm sorry' she said as her eyes began to fill with tears

'Hey, hey, there is nothing to be sorry about. This isn't your fault. Just get some rest, okay?' Neal said, his voice reassuring

He kissed her, trying to get a glimpse into her eyes but she immediately pulled away, becoming increasingly upset and she abruptly made her way up the stairs carrying her suitcase and leaving her husband and best friend behind.

Neal and Elizabeth exchanged glances and El could see that Neal didn't want to leave his wife like that.

'Neal, go. She'll be fine. You'll see, we'll work through this. You're not alone, okay?' she said, touching his arm and encouraging him to leave

Neal nodded, his eyes beginning to water and made his way silently out of the house and back to the car. He somehow felt like he was abandoning his wife but he had to get a few hours of work done at the office and he had the kids to deal with when he got home later. He knew that he, alone, could not cure what was ailing Sara and that after their appointment with Dr. Cooper, they would begin to have a clue as to how to make it all better.

He drove away, off to Manhattan and his job and Finch and Johns. He never noticed the tail.

Matthew Keller smiled maliciously as he followed Neal's car – somehow, all was not hearts and flowers in the Caffrey marriage at the moment considering Neal had just dropped his wife off, suitcase in hand, at the Burkes. This couldn't have worked out more perfectly, he thought, as he realized it was time to put phase two of his plan in motion.

He picked up the phone and asked for room 806: 'You're on' he said simply

WCWCWC

Sara felt like a caged animal. She put away the few articles of clothing she'd brought with her and she sat on the edge of the bed in the Burkes' guest room, wondering what to do next. This was all kinds of wrong, she thought. Her children were at a friend's house being cared for, her husband was at work and she was sitting, feeling totally useless on the edge of a bed somewhere, away from her family. Why couldn't she just snap out of this, whatever _this_ was? She was smart, self-sufficient, resourceful and yet, in this, she was totally inept, feeling absolutely paralysed and unable to figure out how to resolve the situation let alone decide something as simple as what to have for lunch. She had never felt such despair and anguish and she didn't have the first idea how to get herself out of this mess.

'Hey, you okay?' It was Elizabeth, standing in the doorway of the guest room, smiling that reassuring smile she always had. El was her confidant and her best friend and she had been since before she even married Neal and suddenly, the sight of her standing there was reassuring. Elizabeth's calm and no nonsense approach to life were encouraging and she'd seen Sara through some tough times over the years. Whereas Neal's sensitive nature and his need to take care of things often kept him from being direct with his wife, Elizabeth could always be trusted to tell it like it was, without any sugar-coating.

'El' Sara cried 'I don't know what's happening to me. I'm scared'

Elizabeth made her way to sit by her friend, taking her hand in hers. She didn't want to upset her further but she needed to help Sara better understand what was happening and as always, Elizabeth could be counted on to call a spade a spade.

'Sara, you're depressed. It happens to a lot of women after they have a baby' she explained, her voice calm and patient

'You mean, you think it's post-partum depression?' Sara asked, in horror

'It's not taboo, honey. It happens a lot and it can be treated' Elizabeth explained

'I just feel so helpless and I feel so guilty. I love Neal and the kids but I just can't get excited about anything and I don't understand why' she admitted, feeling the need to open up and finally letting the dam burst as her fears and worries came tumbling out.

El just looked at her friend, listening intently.

'And Liam...' suddenly the tears turned to sobs 'I don't even feel anything when I hold him'

Finally, it was out, the dirty little secret she'd been harboring for weeks now – the one thing that she couldn't share with Neal and that she'd been holding back for fear of being judged. When Liam was born, weeks ago, both she and Neal had been thrilled. But as the weeks passed, she'd begun to feel uneasy around the baby, seeing him as a shackle and a burden. He had so many needs, which she was expected to meet at a moment's notice, and somehow he had become this encumbrance as time went on and she was left alone to deal with him. She was fully aware that he was a lovely baby, calm for the most part and he most certainly didn't deserve any of this; thank God for Neal and his wonderful parenting skills, she thought.

Elizabeth took a deep breath at Sara's admission. Although it was difficult for her to hear, she knew it had been even more difficult for Sara to divulge and she needed to be supportive of her friend.

'Sara, that's just the symptoms of depression. There are treatments available. Maybe medication, I don't know. You have to let Dr. Cooper help you and stop fighting it' she said as she rubbed her hand up and down Sara's arm.

There was no doubt about it: it was going to be long haul.

WCWCWC

Neal sat at his desk, feeling uncharacteristically frazzled. There were issues he needed to deal with at work but he was having trouble concentrating on the task at hand as his mind kept wandering back to the look in Sara's eyes when he'd left her at the Burkes. He felt as if he'd deserted her somehow although he knew she was in good hands with Peter and Elizabeth and he was acutely aware that his job was to keep their family life together as they worked through all this. He picked up the phone to check on the kids, unable to keep his mind on work.

'Hi Neal, they're both fine' said Donna Mason on the other end of the line.

Donna and Jeff Mason were good friends to the Caffreys and parents to Hope's best friend, Olivia. The girls were inseparable and over the years, the couples had gladly exchanged childminding services as needed. But Liam was so tiny still and Neal felt badly about leaving him, even with someone as trustworthy and kind as Donna.

'I'll be back by five, if that's okay' he asked

'That's fine, Neal. Look, I know you guys are going through some stuff and I don't want you to worry about the kids, okay? You were there for us last year when Jeff was in the hospital. We owe you, please don't give it a second thought. You just take care of Sara' she said reassuringly

Neal relaxed, thanking her and he hung up, finally turning his attention back to his computer screen. There were e-mails to answer and meetings to set up and he hadn't had time to finish reading his first e-mail when he heard some commotion in the outer office. He could hear his assistant's voice and another woman talking and he stood to see who it was just as Joyce appeared in the doorway to his office.

'There's someone here to see you, Neal. Ms Young? she added as Neal looked on, surprised

Michelle Young appeared in the doorway to his office looking fantastic. She was wearing a tailored business suit with a fuchsia colored blouse, very feminine, skirt just above the knee, her hair perfectly coiffed and a very broad smile on her lips.

'Michelle?' Neal said, puzzled, as Joyce turned to leave, closing the door behind her

'How did you find me?' Neal asked, curious

Michelle produced the Finch and John's pen he'd handed her so she could write down her phone number, her smile getting even broader, if that was at all possible.

'You shouldn't give people a pen inscribed with your place of employment if you don't want them to know where to find you' she said, her voice teasing and her eyelids fluttering

Neal sighed at the sight of the pen, having totally forgotten he hadn't gotten it back from her.

'Look, since you hadn't called me, I thought I'd take the bull by the horns and come to you. I'm sure you could do with a break for lunch and I don't have an appointment until three so... and I won't take no for an answer' she said walking up to him and lacing her arm in his

'But, I've got a lot going on...' Neal began, once again interrupted by his insistent ex

'We all do, Neal. But I haven't seen you in almost twenty years and I want to hear all about what's going on with you – and – you do have to eat' she said, beginning to pull him along

Neal sighed. She was definitely a breath of fresh air and with everything going on in his life at the moment, he had to admit it would be pleasant to have a nice lunch with someone with whom he didn't have any baggage – just a nice, casual lunch to catch up with an old friend.

What harm could it possibly do, he thought, as he let himself be led, taking the first few steps out of his office.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The Blue Fin was a cosy little bistro two blocks over from Finch and Johns and Neal and Michelle made their way there arriving just as the lunch crowd was getting going. They were seated in a booth at the back of the restaurant away from the larger tables where office crowds tended to congregate for what often turned out to be loud celebrations.

Neal couldn't put his finger on why but he wasn't feeling quite right about the situation. Being out to lunch with a beautiful woman while his life was in such disarray didn't seem quite right but he reasoned that bumping into Michelle had been totally unexpected and it couldn't hurt to catch up with an old friend who would be leaving town in a day or two anyway. It was an opportunity to set aside his worries for an hour and find out what Michelle had been up to since they parted ways. He looked up at her as she perused the menu and thought back to easier times, twenty years ago.

'_You've got paint on your nose' giggled Michelle as she reached to touch Neal, deliberately smearing the paint even more_

_He laughed, heartily, realizing what she had done and putting a healthy dollop of Cerulean blue on her cheek as he tackled her by pulling her onto the bed. Neal's apartment was tiny but he still found a way to have a full size easel as well as paint supplies. The couple spent a lot of time there since they'd met – just having fun, painting and having amazing sex at the drop of a hat. At twenty, life was easy; all you needed to think about was living for today. There were no worries about the future just living fully in the moment._

'_You're hurting me!' she screamed trying playfully to pull him off of her_

'_Oh, no you're not getting away from me that easily' Neal answered as he planted a long lingering kiss on her lips, instantly shutting her up and making her moan_

'What's good here, Neal?' asked Michelle, interrupting his reverie and bringing him back to reality

'Huh?' asked Neal

'The menu, what do you recommend?' she asked, flashing him that winning smile

'Um, I've only been here a couple of times. I've had the tuna melt, it was good and...' Neal said as he began studying the menu

'Alright, tuna melt it is' she said 'So, start talking, we've only got a little while to cram twenty years into' she said

Neal laughed. There were definitely parts of the past twenty years he would be more than happy to fast forward through but he was feeling rather forlorn and he realized it felt good to have someone to talk to – someone who wasn't aware of his present predicament and wouldn't judge him.

'Well, it's been quite a ride, that's for sure' he began, rather cryptically 'What about you?'

'Me?' said Michelle. She had the luxury of telling him any story she wanted to. Although Keller had given her a cover and a bogus reason to be in New York, she was free to tell Neal any made-up story she wanted in order to get closer to him.

'Well, it hasn't always been easy, that's for sure. I was in a bad relationship for a while and that played havoc with my self-confidence but I managed to get out of it and get my life back on track. I went back to school to study interior design and after clawing my way to the top of the heap, I've managed to get my small company off the ground' she said, half-truth, half-lie

Neal put his hand in his jacket pocket, pulling out the business card she had given him previously. 'Young Designs' it read with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago.

'What about you?' she asked, pointing to his wedding band

'Well, I'm married now to a terrific woman and we have two children, a five year old and a new baby' he said, proudly

'What about work?' asked Michelle as the waitress placed her sandwich in front of her

'Well, I recently started working as an art authenticator with Finch and Johns – they're a big insurance company and they recover stolen art and artifacts and I ensure that they're the real thing' he said, rather proudly. The truth was that Neal loved his job and he was glad that his con-man days were well behind him.

'Wow, that sounds very glamorous' she said as she stopped eating to stare at him

Neal looked back at her, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. 'What?' he asked

'Nothing, you just look great and it's so nice to see you again' she said, touching his hand briefly

'What about you? Husband? Kids?' asked Neal, trying to deflect attention away from himself. He had no particular interest in sharing everything about his past, particularly his years at Sing Sing and his time as a criminal informant. He wasn't lying exactly, just selecting which parts of his life he was willing to share with an ex.

'No, no time for that' she said 'I'm always travelling and it wouldn't be fair for me to be in a relationship. I prefer to have little adventures along the way, no complications, you know'

No complications, Neal thought. That was kind of the opposite of what his life was about right now.

'So' she continued 'I want to hear all about your wife and kids'

'Well, my wife's name is Sara and she also works for a large insurance company here in New York, Sterling Bosch' he volunteered

'I've heard of them' said Michelle 'Recovery, right?'

'Right, she's been there for close to fifteen years and we've been married for going on five' replied Neal

'Well, she's a very lucky lady' said Michelle as she looked into Neal's eyes, lingering just a little too long

'We've got two wonderful children: Hope just turned five and we have a six week old baby boy, Liam' said Neal a smile spreading on his lips as he thought proudly of his kids

'Do you have any pictures?' she asked, leaning in

'Yup' he answered, pulling out pictures of the children and one of him and Sara

'Wow, your wife is beautiful' said Michelle as she took in the sight of Sara on Neal's arm

'She is... and she's terrific' he added, a little hesitantly

'Why do I have a feeling you're not telling me everything?' Michelle asked, hoping to exploit the small hesitation she had picked up on

Neal shook his head and took a bite of his salad. He didn't know if he wanted to share what was going on in his life right now, although he was having trouble concentrating on anything else. Then again, Michelle was an old friend and she might have some insight to share with him. He took a deep breath before continuing.

'It's just... well, things are a little difficult right now, since the baby's been born' he said, wondering if he was doing the right thing sharing such intimate information

Michelle was a smart lady and taking full advantage of the opportunity, she plunged ahead, hoping her hunch was right: 'Well, my sister had post-partum depression after her last baby was born and she had a hell of a time getting back to normal' she lied

She could tell right away that she had hit pay dirt when she saw Neal's face. Bingo! He became uneasy and he looked away, hoping to change the subject.

'So, tell me about this client of yours. Some snotty millionaire on the Upper East Side?' he asked, navigating away from the sensitive subject

'Look, Neal, my brother in law went through hell when my sister was sick and I did my best to support him. If you need to talk about anything, I'm here' she said, again setting her hand on top of his

'We'll be fine. We just need to get through this next little stretch and I'm sure Sara will feel better' he said 'But thanks... anyways'

They wrapped up lunch and prepared to go their separate ways. It was nice to see Michelle, Neal thought. She brought back good memories of a much simpler time when they were young and carefree. He said his goodbyes, wishing her well before making his way back to the office. She hugged him tightly as she left and it felt good and uncomplicated to hug her after all this time.

Neal made it back to the office and finished up a few things before heading to his other life, his real life, the one that meant the most to him and was causing the most heartache at the moment. He swung by the Masons, to pick up Hope and Liam, making his way home to get them sorted for dinner. He had promised Sara that he would bring the kids by for a visit and he didn't want to disappoint her so by 6:30 they were in the car on the way to Brooklyn.

'Hi, honey' squealed Elizabeth as she opened the door to Hope standing there

'Hey' said Neal, in response as he carried Liam in and set his baby carrier on the floor in the foyer

'How's it going?' he asked of Elizabeth as Hope took off in the kitchen having heard her Uncle Peter calling her

Elizabeth shrugged. 'You know, ups and downs. She's really trying but every once in a while, she just has a meltdown'

Neal nodded. He knew very well what El was talking about. He had been on the receiving end of those meltdowns for a few weeks now. He looked up to see Sara coming down the stairs towards them, a small smile on her face. She had made the effort to dress and put some makeup on which Neal took as an encouraging sign.

'Hey, Repo!' he called out as she took the last few steps to the first floor landing 'You look great!' he added as he took her in his arms to hug her. She reciprocated and Neal took that as encouragement.

'Mommy!' Hope called out from the kitchen as she ran in carrying a popsicle, compliments of Peter.

'Hope!' Sara said, smiling and putting out her arms to hug her daughter

El and Peter excused themselves to take Satchmo out for a walk, giving the Caffrey family some time alone and Neal and Sara sat on the couch as Liam began to fuss. Neal instinctively went to the diaper bag to pull out a bottle to feed him but Sara stopped him, putting up her hand.

'It's okay, I'll breastfeed him' she said somewhat nervously

Over the last two weeks as Sara was having more and more difficulty dealing with things, they had begun to give Liam formula. She didn't have the same interest in breastfeeding as she'd had in the beginning and it was an opportunity for Neal to spend time with his son. Neal was pleased at Sara's offer and he took Liam out of the carrier and brought him over, placing him in Sara's arms.

'Mommy, why are you staying here instead of coming home?' Hope asked from nearby

Neal had explained the reason as best he could and Sara spoke before he could reiterate what he'd told his daughter at dinner and again on the drive over.

'Honey, I'm just really tired and I can't take very good care of you and Liam right now' she said as Liam continued to feed off her breast

Neal looked on sadly. Unfortunately, that was it, in a nutshell.

WCWCWC

'I got some really good ones' said Matthew Keller as he spread the photographs out on the table in Michelle's suite

She looked down glimpsing at Neal and herself in various poses, hugging at the Plaza, gently touching his arm, tugging on his lapel, then at the restaurant, touching his hand as they ate and finally, hugging on West 47th and 8th as they said their goodbyes. They were innocuous enough, she knew, but in the eye of an emotional wife, they could also appear to be very intimate especially if someone took the time to examine her face in any of those photographs. There was no mistaking that this woman was very taken with the man she was with.

'So, I'll just get these to the lovely Ms Ellis and we can talk about phase three' he said as he put them back in the envelope for safe keeping.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

On Thursday afternoon at 1:30, Neal Caffrey packed up his things and left his office in downtown Manhattan in order to go pick up his wife for her doctor's appointment. He had been looking forward to the meeting with Dr. Cooper all week. He knew that the good doctor would find a way to make Sara understand that there were solutions to her present predicament.

Sara appeared rather positive on the drive over, certainly more so than Neal had seen her in a few weeks. She sat in the car and actually chatted with her husband, asking about how the kids were and if things were alright at work. She hadn't shown an interest in anything in weeks and Neal happily chatted with her as they drove through the street of Brooklyn making their way to the medical clinic.

Shortly after their arrival, Sara was invited back to the doctor's office and Neal awkwardly rose in the waiting room, standing by his wife. They hadn't discussed whether or not he would be going in with her and he didn't know what her preference was although he had been hoping to be included in the discussion.

The receptionist put an end to the suspense 'Mr. Caffrey, you can wait here. The doctor will let you know when you can go in' she said, directing him to take a seat

Neal just looked up expectantly at Sara, giving her an encouraging wink as she walked away.

'Hi Sara, seems I just saw you a few weeks ago' said Dr. Cooper as she greeted her patient

'You did, Liam's only six weeks old' said Sara, unable to quite look the doctor in the eye

'Neal came in to see me Monday' said the doctor. Honesty was the best policy: she wasn't about to hide the fact that Neal had initiated the appointment but then again that was no news to Sara.

'I know, I feel like my daddy made a doctor's appointment for me...' said Sara, laughing nervously

'Well, he's the furthest thing from your daddy, but he does love you very much and he's worried that you haven't been feeling well' said Dr. Cooper, putting all the cards on the table

Sara let out a deep sigh. This was definitely more difficult than she thought it would be. As with all things in her life, she had the need to appear competent and in charge but she began to feel quite the opposite as the familiar welling of tears began to rise.

'Sara, this is not the time to be stoic. You need to tell me what's going on' said the doctor, leaning in to make her point

'I really... I really don't know. That's the truth. I just... nothing seems right, Dr. Cooper' Sara stammered

'Are you having trouble sleeping?' asked Dr. Cooper

Sara nodded.

'And what about your appetite?' she continued

Sara shook her head – she took no pleasure whatsoever in food these days.

'Neal says you're crying a lot?'

Sara put up her hands in a gesture of surrender as the tears continued to flow.

'Sara, those are classic symptoms of post-partum depression and it can be treated with medication. Tell me about the baby, how's he doing?' the kind doctor asked

'That's the worst part, Dr. Cooper. You know how it took us almost three years for me to get pregnant and now that he's here... I just don't understand. It's like I can't connect with him and I feel so guilty'

At this, Sara's crying deteriorated into sobs and Dr. Cooper pushed a box of tissues towards her, urging her to take one.

'Sara, that doesn't make you a bad mother. Depression is not something you can control or make disappear on your own. You have done nothing wrong' she said, her voice sincere

'But we do need to talk about where we go from here' she added

Neal was eventually invited to join them as they discussed the types of medication that would be of help to Sara as well as their side effects. Counselling was discussed and encouraged by Dr. Cooper who recommended that they do it together, as a couple. The more the discussion wore on, the more Sara's mood seemed to deteriorate and by the time they left, she had reverted to being sullen and uncommunicative.

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara drove back to Brooklyn in silence. Although they were armed with a prescription for an anti-depressant, Sara had not yet agreed to take it and Neal knew that until she did, things would not be getting any better. Sara's concern that the drugs would impede her mental capacities, although understandable, was standing in the way of her getting a grip on this illness and Neal was getting frustrated.

Dr. Cooper had encouraged them to go for couples counselling which she deemed to be another essential part of the healing process. Despite Neal's eagerness to follow that advice, Sara had totally nixed the idea, saying she was not comfortable with sharing their intimate relationship with a complete stranger. For the umpteenth time in their long relationship, Neal reflected on that wonderful and horrible dichotomy that was Sara Ellis – her determination and tenacity, her best qualities were also her inevitable downfall and he cringed at the thought that she was impeding her own recovery because of her stubbornness.

There was still so much to do in order to convince her to get with the program and Neal was suddenly feeling disheartened and exhausted. He insisted Sara stay at the Burkes for another few days while he worked things out and Sara could sense that despite his usually patient nature, Neal was growing irritated.

They parted ways rather uneasily and Neal made his way back to White Plains to pick up Hope and Liam. It was 4:30 and he thought they could all use a little fresh air so he placed Liam in his stroller and took Hope by the hand and they went off to the park to play for a while before dinner. It was a beautiful summer day, not too hot, just pleasant and Hope took no time in getting settled in the sandbox where she met up with a couple of her friends from the neighborhood.

Neal sat on the park bench, breathing deeply trying to shake his annoyance at Sara and watching as children played and squealed nearby. It was not like him to be angry at his wife – she was usually the one who flew off the handle – and he couldn't remember ever being this livid before. He began to devise a plan; there was no way the situation could continue like this. He grabbed the phone from his pocket and dialed Sara's cell phone; he waited as it went to voicemail.

'Sara, it's me. Look, I'm sorry about how we left things. We have to talk. I'll come by tomorrow afternoon' He was just about to hang up, then he thought better of it, adding 'I love you'

Dammit, she could push his buttons like nobody else could he thought as he waved back to Hope, who was smiling at him from the nearby swing.

He took in his surroundings, realizing that people were slowly starting to leave the park and he peeked at his watch; it was already 5:30 and the kids would be getting hungry soon. He glanced at Liam still snoozing in his baby carriage aware that he'd be waking up any minute now.

'Hope!' he called 'Five more minutes!'

The park was a large communal area backing onto several backyards in the neighborhood, an enclave with no direct access to the street, just sidewalks zigzagging the green space. He suddenly spotted a familiar form strolling nearby and his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized Michelle Young walking along one of the paths, cell phone in hand, ostensibly reading a text. He'd thought for sure he wouldn't run into her for another twenty years, if ever.

'Michelle? What are you doing here in suburbia?' Neal called out

She looked up, equally surprised.

'Neal – what... I was supposed to have dinner with an old friend, over on Pineview' she said pointing to the nearby street, 'but she just texted me that one of her kids is sick and she has to cancel. Dammit, I came all the way out here and I do mean, out here... Sorry, do you live around here?' she asked as she finally put her phone away in her purse

'Yeah' Neal pointed 'right over there on Meadowbrook'

'That's incredible... what are the odds?' asked Michelle looking over to where Neal had pointed, a row of beige colored suburban homes

'Daddy, I'm hungry' suddenly Hope was standing by her dad

'Yeah, sweet pea, it's time to go' said Neal as he turned to check on Liam

'You must be Hope. I'm Michelle, your daddy's friend' said the woman as she crouched down to say hello to the child

Hope nodded. 'You're pretty' she said to Michelle who just smiled in response

'You look like Barbie!' added Hope as Neal looked on, rolling his eyes at the girlie comment

'Oh, I loved Barbie when I was a little girl' said Michelle giving Hope a winning smile

'I have lots of Barbies at home and I have the Barbie Dreamhouse' said Hope proudly

'I've always wanted the Dreamhouse' exclaimed Michelle

'You can come to our house and see it if you like, huh Daddy?' said Hope

Neal just shrugged rather uncomfortably – what could he possibly answer other than 'Sure'

'I would love that!' said Michelle taking the child's hand

The foursome made their way to 4788 Meadowbrook and Neal took Liam out of his stroller, preparing to warm up a bottle for him as Hope eagerly showed her collection of Barbies to Michelle.

'Would you like a glass of wine?' Neal asked feeling slightly awkward at having another woman in the house when Sara was away

'That'd be great, thanks' she answered. She made her way to sit at the island in the kitchen where Neal was beginning to prepare dinner.

'Can Michelle stay for dinner?' asked Hope seemingly taken with the blond woman

Neal looked at Hope 'I'm sure Michelle has other things to do than to sit here and eat tuna casserole'

'No, I'd love to stay' answered Michelle with a big smile

Neal shrugged in agreement.

The threesome settled in to eat while Liam was put down in his room to sleep. The conversation was pleasant and safe, the subjects limited to things that would be of interest to a five-year-old, like favorite school subjects, favorite foods, what interior designers did for a living and Barbies, of course.

Neal tidied up while Michelle played with Hope and after a while Hope asked if the woman could put her to bed. Twenty minutes later, Michelle reappeared giggling.

'She's a hoot!' she said to Neal as she took a spot next to him on the couch.

'You haven't seen anything' Neal answered in agreement

'Neal, you have a lovely family and a lovely home. Can I ask, where's your wife?'

Neal took a deep breath and played with the coffee cup he was holding, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

'She's just resting at her best friend's house. Trying to put things in perspective' he answered, finally

Michelle placed her arm on Neal's and searched his eyes.

'This must be so hard on you, having to take care of everything' she said with concern

'It's not her fault' he said quietly although he was still feeling the sting of Sara's lack of cooperation at the proposed and obvious solutions to her situation.

He turned to face Michelle smiling at her and she stared into his eyes, softly touching his cheek. She had a kind face and he had fond memories of all the fun they'd had together and how easy life had been back then. Before he knew what was happening, Michelle leaned in and brought her lips to his, gently kissing him and it took him a few seconds to react. He pulled away, standing up to face her.

'Michelle, I think you've got the wrong idea, here' he said, putting his hand up 'I love my wife very much and...'

'I understand, Neal' she said, standing to face him 'but I can see the pain in your eyes and I just want you to know, I'm here if you need me'

'Thanks, but I'm really not comfortable with you being here. Look, let me call you a cab' he added as he walked decisively to pick up the phone.

The doorbell rang as he was hanging up and Neal made his way to the front door to find Elizabeth standing there, smiling.

'Hi Neal. Sorry, I hope I didn't wake the kids. I'm just picking up something for...' she stopped, dead in her tracks as she saw the pretty blond woman appear behind Neal with a mischievous smile on her face.

'El' Neal said, hesitantly 'this is an old friend of mine, Michelle Young, she just happened to drop by...' Neal let his voice trail before he said anything more. He could only imagine what this looked like.

'Hi' said Michelle, her voice lively 'It's nice to meet you'

They could hear a car horn in the distance as they spoke.

'Oh, that'll be my cab' she said 'Neal, thanks so much for dinner, it was great' she said, kissing him gently on the cheek as Elizabeth looked on in disbelief.

'It was nice to meet you, El' she said as she finally took her leave

Elizabeth and Neal exchanged looks but he had the feeling that no matter what he said, it would not be a satisfactory explanation for the naturally suspicious Mrs. Burke so he decided to avoid the topic altogether.

'What is it you're looking for?' he asked

'Oh, Sara sent me over to get her iPad' Elizabeth answered, suddenly ill at ease

'I'll get it for you' Neal said as he walked back to the kitchen

'How's Sara tonight?' he asked as he handed her the device

'Upset' answered Elizabeth and there was no doubt that she was attempting to make Neal feel guilty

'Look, Elizabeth, it's a long story but I can assure you it's not the one that's playing in your head right now' said Neal

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and off she went into the night.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Friday morning on Meadowbrook Street played out pretty much the same as to the two previous mornings – Neal dropped off Hope and Liam at the Mason home and made his way to Manhattan to put in a few hours of work at the office. Although he would have preferred to stay home for the morning, he had a few issues he needed to deal with before the weekend.

He thought ahead to his afternoon visit with Sara and he wondered what mood she'd be in when he got there. Surely, Elizabeth wouldn't add fuel to the fire by telling Sara she'd found a beautiful blonde with Neal – not without first giving Neal the chance to explain. That's all Sara needed right now, some totally unrelated and innocuous situation to make her feel even more anxious. Despite his hesitation, Neal decided that it would be wise to let Sara know he'd bumped into an old friend and that she'd popped by the house. Hope would certainly mention it at some point and he wanted to be honest and explain how things had developed innocently and the fact that he'd had no choice but to invite Michelle into their home.

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Sara was having a good morning. After an unusually good night's sleep, she had revisited her decision regarding the medication and she was beginning to realize that nothing would change if she didn't give it a chance. She walked resolutely to the Burkes' kitchen where Elizabeth sat at the computer reading e-mails.

'El, I've decided to give the medication a chance' she said as she grabbed the prescription bottle from where it sat by the sink

Elizabeth got up and stood by her friend: 'I think that's a really good idea' she said, smiling and touching her shoulder

'If I find that the side effects are just too much, I can always stop, right?' added Sara, trying to convince herself

Elizabeth nodded 'And don't forget what the doctor said; it could take a few days before you feel any better so don't give up on it too quickly'

They were interrupted by the doorbell and they exchanged puzzled looks; they weren't expecting anyone until Neal's scheduled visit in the afternoon. Elizabeth made her way to the door to find a delivery man holding a large manila envelope in his hands.

'Sara Ellis?' he said as he handed it over, getting Elizabeth to sign the delivery slip

She made her way to the kitchen carrying the envelope as Sara finished swallowing a sip of water to chase away the pill she'd just taken.

'It's an envelope for you' Elizabeth said, rather mysteriously

They both sat at the table and Sara slowly opened the envelope, her jaw dropping as she spied its contents.

Inside, were a half dozen 8 x 10 glossy photographs of Neal with a blond woman in various poses. Three of the pictures seemed to have been taken in a hotel lobby. The reception desk was visible in the background and Neal was standing, facing this woman as she looked at him rather intensely, touching his arm, then, in another, tugging at the lapel of his jacket in a most intimate way. The third picture was of them hugging and if Sara had just taken the time to study her husband's face, she would have noticed that he appeared ill at ease although, contrary to Neal, the woman had her eyes closed as if embracing a lover.

As it was, Sara wasn't computing much except shock at the pictures which had been made to look so intimate by the photographer – whoever he was. Two of the pictures were seemingly taken in a restaurant. Sara immediately recognized the shirt and tie Neal had worn two days ago, the day he had dropped her off at the Burkes. In the photographs, they were cosily ensconced in a booth, holding hands, then in another just looking intently at each other, Neal laughing. Finally, there was a shot of them hugging on the street.

Sara knew her husband well and she trusted him; he had never given her any reason not to. Sure, Neal had a way with the ladies, he always had and she was used to women fawning over her handsome husband in public and not hesitating to come on to him, even in her presence. But despite being charming and debonair, Neal had never crossed that line as far as she knew and she tried briefly to make sense of what was laid out before her. What explanation could there possibly be for Neal to be out and about with this woman, especially when she was going through such a difficult time.

There was a typewritten note in the bottom of the envelope. It read: 'Looks like your husband's been busy the last few days!'

Elizabeth continued to stare in disbelief as Sara gawked at the pictures one after the other, yet again. She had instantly recognized the woman in the photographs, the same one who'd been hanging all over Neal the night before in Sara's very own living room. She bit her tongue. Although the photos were damning, something kept her from immediately sharing that little tidbit of information with her best friend - at least until she could talk to Neal and get some sort of explanation from him. At the moment, however, she couldn't see what that explanation could possibly be. Sara had been out of the house for forty eight hours; surely Neal hadn't struck up a relationship with someone new in that short time. This was obviously someone Neal had known before – why was she surfacing in his life now? That was the question.

Despite her gut reaction and her own anger at Neal, Elizabeth remained calm as Sara continued to gasp, taking in the pictures again and again. Her job was to try to keep things from escalating for Sara and to be the voice of reason.

'Sara, I don't know what this is but I do know Neal. He loves you and he would never hurt you' she said, trying to remain calm for Sara's sake

Sara let out a sarcastic laugh. 'Oh, yeah? _This _is how he'd never hurt me' she said, pointing to the pictures.

'Look, whatever _this _is, you have to give him a chance to explain' said Elizabeth, trying to reason with her friend

Sara Ellis-Caffrey at any other time of her life would have taken the bull by the horns and barged into her husband's office demanding an explanation, but fragile, depressed Sara Ellis-Caffrey just melted into tears and ran up the stairs, leaving Elizabeth standing there totally bewildered.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth Burke made her way to the offices of Finch and Johns in downtown Manhattan. Sara might not be up to confronting her husband at the moment, but she sure as hell was. She stormed in, unannounced, and threw the offending photographs on Neal's desk as he took in the sight of her, face red and obviously furious.

Neal looked down at the envelope, his face confused and within seconds he was up to speed, having spied its contents.

'Imagine my surprise, Neal, when I saw the woman in the photographs. The very same woman I happened to find kissing you in your living room, in the very house you share with your wife' she said, her voice loud and angry

She was sounding like _she_ was the wounded party and Neal realized that if she was reacting this violently, Sara's reaction would be all the more intense.

'Did you tell Sara?... About last night?' he asked, nervously

'I care too much about Sara... and you' she added, reluctantly 'to add fuel to the fire without giving you a chance to explain. But I'm warning you, Neal, this better be good because I'm this close to telling Sara everything'

Neal sat at the table in his office, envelope in hand as he took in the photographs one by one. Sara must be so confused, he thought – the last thing he wanted to do was upset her even more than she already was. He felt blameless in all this although he began to mentally play back his recent encounters with Michelle wondering how he could have handled things differently. She seemed to be popping up at the most unexpected times and he was beginning to wonder if she had planned all this – the casual encounter in the park, the surprise visit to his office, even the chance meeting at the hotel where she was staying. But for all his sophistication and shrewdness, Neal was very naive when it came to women and he wanted to believe things at face value not always questioning people's (especially women's) motivations.

Elizabeth continued staring him down: 'Start talking, Neal!' she said, tapping her foot

Neal began to recover from the shock and started to organize the sequence of events in his mind.

'Michelle and I were friends – alright more than friends, years ago - twenty years ago, when I first came to New York. We were together for maybe six months; we were young, life was easy' he paused and examined Elizabeth's reaction

'I never saw her again until this week. Peter sent me to the Plaza to meet a fence who wanted to share some intel and while I was waiting in the lobby, Michelle suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She said she was in town for a few days on business and she was just there, in the lobby...'

He ran his hands over the pictures from the Plaza, marvelling at how damning they looked despite their innocent nature.

'She hugged me, and we talked for about... I don't know... three minutes? She asked me for a pen to write down her cell number on her business card and she mentioned that she'd like us to go to lunch. But, Elizabeth, I had no intention of following up on it – you know, with everything going on... I just thought it was nice to see her after all this time and I said goodbye. I mean, look at my face' he said pointing to the picture of their hug; 'I was totally taken by surprise when she hugged me'

Elizabeth had to admit that Neal's face looked rather uncomfortable in the photo whereas the woman's eyes were closed and her touch intimate. She wanted Neal's explanation to make sense but she was reserving judgement until he finished with his description of the events leading to what she'd seen in the Caffrey house the night before.

'On Wednesday, she showed up at my office unexpectedly. I hadn't even told her where I worked but I'd given her a Finch and Johns pen to write her number down and I'd just... I didn't ask for it back. I guess she put two and two together and she just showed up here, insisting we go for lunch and catch up. I tried to protest, but anyway, I didn't... and we went up the street for lunch. That was it – one hour, we caught up on the last twenty years. She told me about her job, I talked about Sara and the kids – you know just catching up... and then we each went our separate ways' he said, his mind now beginning to compute that someone out there was following him and taking pictures, unbeknownst to him.

Elizabeth began to relax and she took the chair next to Neal. She could see that he was trying to understand what was happening himself.

'But who would do this?' she asked 'Who would follow you around and take pictures of you?'

Neal shook his head in disbelief wondering what Michelle's role might be in this. Everything seemed to have happened innocently enough but these pictures were proof that someone wanted to create problems for him and Sara.

'Then, yesterday, I bumped into her again' Neal said, as it began to dawn on him that their encounter might have been anything but accidental

'I took the kids to the park before dinner and there she was - again' he said shaking his head 'It sounded plausible but now...'

Elizabeth continued to look at him, urging him to continue

'She said she was in the neighborhood to have dinner with a friend but that the friend had cancelled. She told me her friend lived on Pineview which is just two streets over from our place and I had no reason to think she was making it up... Do you think she's been playing me?' he asked suddenly, the thought dawning on him

Elizabeth shrugged 'Why, though?'

'Well, for this – to cause trouble in my marriage' Neal said, not really wanting to believe what he was saying

'But why, why would an old girlfriend show up after twenty years and try to cause a rift between you and Sara. It doesn't make any sense' said Elizabeth

'So, how did she end up being at your place?' she continued

'She and Hope started talking about Barbies and next thing I knew Hope was asking if Michelle could come over and then... I've been a fool, haven't I?' Neal said suddenly

Elizabeth looked at poor Neal, so hapless when it came to women and their charms.

'And just before you dropped in' Neal added, sheepishly and in the interest of full disclosure 'I had just called her a cab because... she kissed me... I told her I wasn't comfortable with her being there and I asked her to leave'

'Neal this story is hard to believe' said Elizabeth, pausing 'but it's you, and I believe you'

'Well, I've got to get this sorted out' he said, rising and putting on his jacket

'Where are you going?' asked Elizabeth

'To talk to Sara and then I'm going to confront Michelle' he said as he left

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

'So, one last little intimate encounter should do it' said Matthew Keller as he and Michelle Young sat discussing strategy in her hotel room

'Don't you think those photographs are enough?' asked Michelle

She was beginning to feel sorry for Neal; he'd looked so miserable when he'd talked about his wife's condition and she thought their little scheme had put them through enough misery, as it was. If she was in Sara's situation, she'd be plenty pissed off if she received an envelope with pictures like these – especially if she wasn't in the best place emotionally.

Michelle knew it was just a question of time before Neal came looking for her to get some explanations and she wasn't looking forward to lying to him again about her role in this charade.

'You underestimate this couple' said Keller with disgust dripping from his voice 'They've been through a lot and they're solid plus Caffrey will find a way to talk his way out of this. No, now that the doubt has been planted, we need Ms Ellis to find her husband in 'flagrant délit' as the French say'

Michelle looked at Matthew Keller, puzzled.

'In the act' he exclaimed

'What? You actually think I can get Neal into bed. Now, you're overestimating my charms. He even pushed me away when I tried to kiss him last night. Neal obviously loves his wife and it's going to take a lot more than me batting my eyelashes at him to get him into bed with me.'

'Oh, ye of little faith' said Keller 'I have secured some extra help with phase three and believe me, not only will you get Neal Caffrey in your bed but his wife will walk in and find you two together' said Keller, his eyes sparkling

WCWCWC

Neal and Elizabeth made their way back to the Burke home. Neal wanted the chance to talk to Sara, to make sure she was alright before he confronted Michelle about her part in this sordid story. But he knew his wife was often quick to react and in her present state, he didn't know what to expect so he prepared himself for what could be a nasty exchange.

In fact, Sara was anything _but_ alright when Neal arrived at Peter and Elizabeth's. She was sitting in the living room when they returned and he immediately noticed her bag, packed and sitting by the front door.

She rose to meet him, her face pale and emotionless and before he could utter a solitary word, she delivered a single, stinging slap across his cheek without even a blink.

'I am going home now, Neal but _you are not_! I don't know when I'll be ready or if I'll ever be ready to talk to you but don't you dare show your face at home until I tell you to' she said, her voice impassive yet stronger than he'd heard it in weeks.

Neal was so taken aback, he was rendered speechless. So, he deduced, Sara wasn't alright and in the state she was in, if past experience was any indication, there was absolutely nothing to be said until she calmed down and was ready to listen.

He turned to Elizabeth who was looking on in shock and spoke softly: 'Will you please make sure she's okay?' he said.

Then he calmly turned and walked out the door.

WCWCWC

Neal arrived at the Plaza Hotel shortly after four thirty and made his way to the reception desk. 'Could you check and see if Michelle Young is in her room?' he asked, slightly breathless

'Ms Young went out for awhile' said the person at the desk

'When she gets back, could you please tell her that I'm waiting for her in the bar?' Neal asked

The cellphone number she had left him was going straight to voicemail and Neal had made up his mind that he wasn't leaving before he got some answers, even if it took all night. If Michelle was involved in some scheme to break up his marriage, he was going to call her on it and get to the bottom of it.

The bar at the Plaza Hotel was still quiet at this hour and Neal took a seat near the door so he could see the comings and goings near the reception area. He wanted to be able to spot Michelle when she came back from wherever she'd gone. He ordered a scotch and sat, taking in his surroundings. A few men sat at the bar chatting up the pretty barmaid and two couples were seated nearby, chatting and laughing. He, on the other hand, would have preferred to be home with his family, not sitting in some bar waiting for his ex so he could interrogate her and try to save his marriage.

Neal hadn't given Michelle a single thought in years; after all, the great Neal Caffrey had been with many women since his time with her twenty years ago. Now, all the women he'd known and even those he thought he'd loved all faded in comparison as he thought of Sara Ellis, the one woman who truly knew him, inside and out and loved him despite and a little bit because of his many shortcomings.

He did, however, have fond memories of his time with Michelle; she'd been his first steady girlfriend following his arrival in New York and she really understood him and accepted him, warts and all.

'_Stop moving, I told you' Neal said as he concentrated on the canvas in front of him_

'_I've been sitting here for over an hour. Come on Neal, just let me stretch my legs' Michelle said, fidgeting_

'_No' he answered 'Just another few minutes'_

_Michelle lay on the bed, naked except for a sheet strategically placed on her hip covering part of her breasts, her long blond hair draped over her shoulders, making her look like some Greek goddess. This was Neal's first attempt at a portrait and he wanted to submit it as his final work in the art class they were taking together. He looked down at the canvas, rather pleased with his efforts; if Michelle wanted it, he would let her keep it after the teacher marked it._

'_Do you know how beautiful you are?' he added, encouraging her (or was that conning her) to stay still. Neal always got what he wanted when he asked nicely._

'_You're such an asshole!' she finally said, laughing, as she jumped off the bed, dropping the sheet and throwing herself on Neal who'd been perched on a small stool, making them both tumble to the ground in a giggling heap of limbs. _

Neal looked down at his glass of scotch. He and Michelle had had a great relationship back then and he couldn't quite remember what had broken them up in the first place. She didn't have a malicious bone in her body and he found it difficult to imagine that she would carry out some elaborate scheme to break up his marriage, especially when he hadn't seen her in all these years.

He thought of Sara, how fragile she was at the moment and how her present state was in such stark contrast to the headstrong and determined woman he'd fallen in love with. Although her present vulnerabilities brought out Neal's protective side, it was an unusual and somewhat uncomfortable feeling for him. Sara could always take care of herself and although she chose to be with Neal, he had never sensed any need on her part to be taken care of, just a mutual and comfortable feeling of intimacy and understanding based on respect and trust. But commitment meant being there when your partner was going through a rough time and this was not the first, nor would it be the last time one of them needed the other's support and love to get through a rough patch. He thought back to Sara's cancer four years before and his terrible car accident and how he never would have found his way back to his family if Sara hadn't stood by him every step of the way.

He ordered a second drink, checking his watch. Sara would be home by now and he wondered if she was up to dealing with the kids and their various needs; with any luck, Elizabeth would have gone back to White Plains with her. He had a fleeting thought about where he'd be spending the night; Sara had made it clear he wouldn't be sharing their bed and he wondered if he should get a hotel room downtown or see if he could use the guest room she had vacated at the Burkes.

Another hour passed accompanied by another drink and another look through the photographs he held in his shaking hands. He marvelled at how an innocent encounter could be made to look so dirty, so deceitful. He thought back to the kiss Michelle had placed on his lips the night before and he had to admit that somewhere deep inside, his male ego had delighted in the fact that this smart and beautiful woman was still attracted to him after all this time.

She suddenly appeared in front of him and he realized he had been too lost in his own thoughts to spot her arrival.

'Neal, what's going on? The desk said you're looking for me' she asked, standing in front of him and taking in the state of him.

He looked angry and it was obvious from the look in his eyes that he'd had a couple of drinks. Fortified by the three scotches under his belt, Neal threw the photographs onto the table and studied Michelle's face for a reaction as she began to realize what she was looking at. She slowly let herself fall into the seat next to him as she began to study each one of the pictures, seemingly shocked at what she was seeing.

'Where did _these_ come from?' she asked, finally

'These were delivered to my wife earlier today' said Neal

'Oh, my God' answered Michelle as she realized the implication of what Neal had just said

'That's right. And I suppose you're going to tell me you don't know anything about these' he continued

'Of course not. How could I? I'm _in _the pictures' she said continuing to stare

'Is someone following you?' she finally asked, looking up at Neal

Neal took the last sip of his drink and looked her in the eye – he always thought he was pretty good at detecting people's tells when they weren't being truthful.

'So, you're telling me you don't have anything to do with this?' he asked again

Michelle just shook her head, seemingly too shocked to answer.

'I need a drink' she said finally as she stood to make her way to the bar

Neal watched as she walked the few steps to the bar; she was wearing a red dress which molded her body in all the right places and her hips swung from side to side as she went, hypnotizing him for a brief moment before he snapped out of it. If she was telling the truth, then someone else was out to cause trouble for him and he nervously looked around to see if anyone was watching him. Suddenly he was aware that someone could have been tracking him for awhile – to what end he had no idea but he resolved to be more aware of his surroundings.

Michelle returned with two drinks and put down a glass of scotch in front of Neal. She took a seat next to him, turning her body to face him and his eyes were drawn to her cleavage as she bent to pick up her drink. He forced his eyes away, looking at his drink and reminding himself what he was there to accomplish: find out who was behind those photographs.

He nervously glanced around to see if anyone was watching them as he took a large sip of his drink to steady his nerves.

'What? You think someone might be watching us now?' Michelle asked as she began to take in their surroundings.

Neal shrugged. Right now, he couldn't trust his own instincts it seemed.

'Let's go talk in my room. At least, we'll know nobody's listening' she suggested as she looked at Neal

He had to fix this, he realized, and to do that, he needed to try to put the pieces of the last few days together. Maybe Michelle could help him with that; right now she was all he had.

He downed his drink in one fell swoop and followed her up to her room.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sara made it home by late afternoon and headed over to pick up Hope and Liam at their friends' home. Although Hope was surprised, she was happy to see her mom; she had missed having her at home the last couple of days and she gave her a big hug upon seeing her on the Masons' doorstep.

Elizabeth had no intention of leaving Sara alone to deal with all that was going on and she had insisted on packing a bag and accompanying her friend back to White Plains. Although Sara had not yet agreed to listen to Elizabeth's take on the situation, El hoped that after things calmed down and the kids were in bed, she would be able to share her conversation with Neal and make some headway. Sara was making superhuman efforts to deal with the kids, getting dinner on the table and breastfeeding Liam before putting him down for the night. Despite her feelings of desperation, she appeared strong and determined and Elizabeth couldn't help but admire her friend's strength of character as she rose above the present situation.

'Where is Daddy?' asked Hope as Sara helped her prepare for bed

Sara took a deep breath. Whenever she and Neal had disagreements, they never involved the kids and they had agreed, years ago, to never disparage the other in the eyes of their children, no matter what. So, her dad was a cheating, adulterous son of a bitch, thought Sara, but she wasn't about to share that with her daughter.

'Daddy and I had an argument so we're just having a little time out. Nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart' said Sara, her voice steady despite the many emotions cursing through her body

Hope was like every five-year-old who loved her mom and dad and needed stability in her life. She certainly wasn't used to seeing her parents argue like this and she didn't like it one bit. Just a few months before, Neal had moved out for a while trying to work things out for himself after his car accident. Hope remembered how confused she was at the time and she asked her mom the same question she'd asked her dad earlier in the week.

'Are you and Daddy going to get a divorce?' she asked

'Hope, that's not something you need to worry about, okay? I love you and Daddy loves you and _that _will never change' she said, hoping to reassure her daughter

'Michelle said that sometimes people get a divorce when they stop loving each other' said Hope, her worries far from settled

'Who's Michelle?' asked Sara

'Daddy's friend. She tucked me in last night' said Hope, innocently

'Well, it's time to go to sleep, sweetie. I'll be here in the morning, okay?' she said, kissing her daughter goodnight

Sara made her way downstairs, angrier than she would have thought possible as she began to come to grips with Hope's little bombshell. Whoever this woman was, she had wormed her way even into her life, into her home, all the way into her daughter's bedroom - and Sara wasn't having any of it.

'She was in our house!' Sara screamed as she made her way back to Elizabeth who was still sitting at the kitchen table

She looked at her friend, seeing a fleeting look of guilt and she seized on the moment

'You knew!' she said accusingly

'Sara - ' Elizabeth began, immediately interrupted by Sara's tirade

'You knew and you didn't tell me!' Sara was really losing it now 'What? Are you in cahoots with Neal now in his sordid little love affair?'

'Sara, stop and listen to yourself. There is no sordid little love affair. I think someone's toying with you and Neal' explained Elizabeth

Sara looked at her friend, eyes wide. Generally, Elizabeth had good judgement and Sara turned to her for advice on a variety of things, not least of which was her sometimes complicated relationship with Neal. Being married and committed to the ex-conman was not always easy and Peter and Elizabeth had been excellent role models for the younger couple over the years.

'Look, Sara, I talked to Neal today. And yes, he did bump into this woman he knew years ago. But I don't think there's anything sordid or devious about his relationship with her. Neal looked just as confused as you and I were'

'Confused? How could he be confused? He was with her in those photographs. You can't deny that' Sara said, beginning to calm down

'You're right, he was. But he only just bumped into her a few days ago after twenty years and I know Neal well enough to know when he's not coming clean... he just didn't exercise very good judgement by letting her convince him to go to lunch. I think if he's guilty of anything, it's his usual inability to control his impulses'

Sara took a deep breath trying hard to compute what Elizabeth was saying.

'Sara, Neal loves _you!_ Not some floozy he bumped into after twenty years. Do you really think Neal would throw away your marriage, your life as a family for a roll in the hay?' she asked

'Maybe not before but the way I've been lately...' said Sara, suddenly sad

'It's going to take more than a few weeks of hard times for Neal to turn his back on you. Hasn't he proven this to you time and time again?'

Sara thought back to all the times she and Neal had disagreed and how she's pushed him away when she was going through her chemotherapy treatments. He had never once wavered and she began to think that maybe she should give him a chance to explain. Although she was not her usual clear thinking and positive self, she knew enough to realize that her present state of mind was due to the depression that engulfed her and she did not want to throw her marriage away on a whim.

WCWCWC

Room 806 of the Plaza Hotel had a spectacular view of Manhattan. Neal ambled in, somewhat unsteady on his feet as he began to feel the effects of the five scotches he'd imbibed within a couple of hours. Neal wasn't much of a drinker, generally preferring wine to hard liquor but this situation was out of his comfort zone and the alcohol was taking the edge off a jumble of emotions ranging from confusion to anger.

Here he was feeling buzzed in a hotel room with a very attractive woman who'd been his lover years ago. Good job, Caffrey, he thought; probably not your best idea. But at least, they could talk openly here and he could try to get some answers without worrying about someone taking pictures of them as they spoke.

'Here' said Michelle as she handed him a drink

'I – I think I've probably had enough' said Neal, his voice unsteady as he took in Michelle once more, standing over him looking sultry and inviting.

Despite his better judgement, he took the drink, downing it in one shot, liquid courage and all.

'Neal, I'm sorry this is happening but it isn't your fault and your wife should know enough to trust you' she said as she sat next to him on the love seat

Neal's eyes met hers and he could see compassion there, something he knew he wouldn't be getting from his wife anytime soon. Having this beautiful woman so close to him, her thighs touching his and her mouth so inviting was terribly distracting. He missed the closeness he shared with Sara and suddenly, he felt so helpless and weak.

'Let me help you; let me take care of you' she said, her voice low and sultry as she placed her hands on his cheeks forcing him to keep his baby blue eyes on hers

Michelle finally reached over, kissing him more urgently this time as Neal momentarily hesitated. Her touch, her smell, her voice were irresistible and, contrary to the night before, he didn't pull back; he leaned into the kiss, hungry for some human contact after weeks of rejection from Sara. Michelle's lips felt soft on his and he enjoyed the moment as he felt her hands reach around his neck pulling him even closer. His arms reached around her as he pulled her to him, the closeness dizzying and comforting.

As their lips parted, Neal opened his eyes and realized in horror what he'd just done. He stood, unsteady, towering over Michelle as he came to his senses.

'Michelle, look, I'm sorry. You're a beautiful woman and I'm feeling very vulnerable right now. But I can't do this. Despite everything that's going on, I love Sara and only Sara and I've made a solemn vow to be faithful to her. We've been through so much and I've got to find a way to get her to believe me. She means everything to me and she needs to get better - and I need to be there to take care of her'

'She's a very lucky woman' said Michelle 'Look, message received. Why don't you sit down and we'll see if we can work through this together. Maybe if you talk it out, we can find out who's doing this to you and why'

Neal looked at her through his hazy gaze and nodded. Despite the alcohol that was fogging up his mind, his resolve was strong and he was determined to resist her charms; maybe Michelle could help him now that he'd been able to fight off her advances and made his lack of interest – or at least his decision not to act on his impulses - clear.

'Thanks' he said, moving to the armchair nearby and taking a seat.

She made her way to the bar to get them another drink and she pulled out the small packet Keller had given her – her secret weapon to get Neal into her bed – and without hesitation she dumped the powder into Neal's drink. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this. He didn't deserve this, she thought, but she was so close now and she reminded herself of how the last installment of her blood money would come in handy. All she had to do was follow through on the plan and the money was hers; she couldn't let her growing feelings for Neal and his wellbeing weaken her resolve and cloud her judgement. She turned to see Neal, sitting upright in the armchair away from the temptation of sitting next to her and she smiled at him as she handed him the glass.

'So, can you think of anyone who would want to do you any harm?' she asked, keeping him occupied until he was sufficiently impaired for her to carry out her plan

Neal took a mouthful of his drink and scoffed thinking of all the enemies he'd made over the years, both in the joint and out.

'Michelle, I haven't told you everything about my life. I did some time and I've worked for the FBI as a criminal informant. Believe me, I have tons of enemies' he said, his speech becoming slurred as he took another swallow from the drink she had handed him

'What kind of enemies?' she asked, continuing to look at him

'An assortment of bad guys' he said laughing sardonically, his voice faltering as he spoke

His eyes were beginning to glaze over as he spoke and Michelle continued to study him and wait patiently for the moment when his resistance would disappear and she could make her move.

'And... you know...' Neal continued as he took another sip, his thoughts becoming jumbled and unclear 'I'm no angel, m'self'

Michelle stood and walked over to where Neal was sitting, noticing his eyes were beginning to droop, his senses dulled by the drug he had just ingested.

'Here' she said handing him the glass. 'Finish your drink'

Neal obeyed and Michelle moved in closer, straddling him as he sat there, unable to fight her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately as Neal totally melted in her touch, unable to fight her.

'M'chelle... no' he said weakly as he began to understand what she'd done

'I... don't ... feel so well' he finally said as she continued kissing his neck and running her hands through his hair. She was enjoying the seduction of Neal Caffrey; he was a very sexy man and he had been a very attentive lover although she realized that he would not be in a position to participate actively in any lovemaking in his present state.

'Come on, baby' she said 'Let me get you over to the bed'

In a few minutes, he would be out cold and she wasn't in any position to carry a 180 lb man even the short distance to the king sized bed that dominated the suite. With some coaxing and support, Neal got to his feet, wavering and hanging on to Michelle so he wouldn't fall. She guided him over to the large bed and he let himself fall, all muscle control now lost.

'Sara, Sara' he kept moaning as she placed him in the bed and prepared to join him. It was the final act of their little charade and she had to make it look good for the arrival of Mrs. Neal Caffrey – an arrival which was imminent.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

There was a soft knock on the connecting door to her hotel room and Michelle made her way, letting in an anxious looking Matthew Keller.

'Come on in, he's out like a light' she said as she opened the door

Matthew Keller took one look at Neal Caffrey, passed out on the bed and smiled that conniving, deceitful smile of his. Now, he had his ex-partner exactly where he wanted him – totally vulnerable and at his mercy.

'Get into bed with him, I want to take a few special mementos before I call his wife' he said, deviously

'Why?' asked Michelle, becoming impatient. She was starting to feel like a prostitute in all this when the truth was, she cared about Neal and had truly enjoyed spending time with him the last few days.

'Because I want to and I want to leave them for Mrs. Caffrey to remember this momentous occasion where her high and mighty husband finally gave into temptation and strayed from his marriage vows' he said, taking out his camera and preparing to take some illicit shots of the two of them

'But she's going to see us with her own eyes' whined Michelle 'Isn't that enough?'

'Ah, but there's nothing like photographs to remind us of those 'special' moments' he said with a leer

'Now hurry up and change into that cute little number I got you' he said, with sudden irritation

Michelle made her way to the bathroom to change her clothes while Keller walked to the bed, looming over Neal, a perpetual sneer on his face.

'Not so high and mighty now, huh Caffrey?' he said, leaning into Neal 'Even the great Neal Caffrey has his downfall and today is the day your wife and kids walk out of your life for good'

Neal lay on the bed, moaning softly as Keller spoke. He was mumbling something that sounded like Sara's name and Keller laughed at this 'You can call her name all you like, Caffrey, she's not going to be giving you the time of day after tonight'

Suddenly, Michelle reappeared wearing a very skimpy little number and Keller looked her up and down as she made her way back towards the bed.

'You're really creepy, you know that?' she said as she sat in the bed by Neal

'Now' said Keller, as if he was the director of some cheap porno flick 'Get in and slip under his arm'

He began to give directions as Michelle placed Neal in one compromising position after another, taking care to keep Neal's unresponsive eyes out of the shots. Keller began to look at the photographs through the camera's screen and smiled in satisfaction.

'Alright, well you two relax and I will send out a little invitation to Ms Ellis to come and join the party. But don't bother fixing her a drink' he added, laughing, 'I have a feeling she won't be staying very long'

WCWCWC

'I really want to believe what you're saying, Elizabeth, but pictures don't lie' Sara was saying, calmer than she'd been all day

'Pictures can be made to look very incriminating, you know that, Sara. Remember those pictures Neal took of you and Peter? Look, has Neal ever given you any reason to think he's been unfaithful?' Elizabeth asked, knowing full well the answer

'No, of course not' admitted Sara, sheepishly

'And knowing everything you know about him, do you think he would choose the moment when you are the most vulnerable to step out on you?' asked El, the voice of reason

'I don't know anymore, Elizabeth. I just don't understand why Neal would go out to lunch with a beautiful ex-girlfriend and not tell me – and then, to invite her into our home when I'm not here. It's...'

'You're right, it showed very poor judgement on Neal's part. But he always wants to believe the best of people, that's how he is. Look, why don't you just hear him out. Don't you think you've got enough on your hands right now without being estranged from the person who loves you the most?' she asked

Sara was beginning to come around but her confidence was already shaky, her judgement not what it usually was and she began to pace in the kitchen as she listened to her friend. Her cell phone vibrated nearby and she instantly thought of Neal, her heart fluttering for an instant at the thought of him. She reached out to see a text from an unknown number.

'Your husband is waiting for you in room 806 of the Plaza Hotel' she read

'Do you think it's from Neal?' asked Elizabeth as her friend read the text out loud.

'I don't know, why would Neal use a stranger's phone to text me and talk about himself in the third person?' Sara asked, puzzled yet intrigued

'I don't feel good about this, Sara' Elizabeth said, rising and putting her hand on Sara's arm

'Look, whatever's this is, I need to know' Sara said as she began to gather her things

'Sara, I can't let you go there alone' said Elizabeth as she looked on, worried

'But I need you to stay with the kids' replied Sara, her eyes imploring

'Alright, alright, just call me and let me know what's going on. And Sara, be careful' she warned as Sara prepared to leave

The moment Sara left, Elizabeth grabbed for her phone. Whatever Sara was walking into reeked of danger – if not physical, at least emotional.

She phoned Peter, getting his voice mail 'Peter, I'm worried about Neal and Sara. She just got a text telling her to go to room 806 at the Plaza Hotel and I'm afraid she's walking into something. Can you go over and see what's up?'

It was past nine o'clock and she realized Peter must be out walking Satchmo. Hopefully, he would get the message and make his way over to the Plaza before anything happened to either Sara or Neal.

Suddenly, Elizabeth had the feeling that whatever Sara was walking into was going to cause nothing but heartbreak.

WCWCWC

Michelle lay in bed next to an unresponsive Neal and waited patiently for the other shoe to drop. Keller had retreated to his own room to wait for the fireworks to start and she had strict instructions on what to do when Sara arrived. The impact when she opened the door had to leave no doubt as to what was supposedly going on – Keller fully expected that Sara would leave almost immediately upon seeing her husband in a tight clinch with another woman.

She thought back to the last few days and the time she'd spent with Neal. He was a terrific guy and he seemed to have really made a go of his life despite the confession he had let slip out a little while earlier. She'd always known Neal was impulsive and that he didn't always walk on the right side of the law but she had no idea he'd done jail time. His admission that he'd worked as a criminal informant had also surprised her – Neal didn't strike her as the g-man type in the least. She looked over at him, lying semi-conscious on the bed. Although he didn't seem to know where he was, he would stir every once in a while and moan what sounded like his wife's name.

Whatever those two had must be pretty special, she thought. He was one of those increasingly rare husbands who remained faithful to their wives. She reasoned that it would have been harmless to have a quick little interlude with her but Neal had resisted her advances, not wanting to stray from his marriage vows. She had to admit his rebuke had bruised her ego somewhat; he had never tried to resist her back when they were together, she mused, as she thought back to all those years ago.

'_Neal, I'm trying to work here' said Michelle as she held her brush unsteadily in her hand_

_Class had ended and they had stayed on so Michelle could finish her project but at the moment Neal was more interested in getting his hands all over Michelle than watching her paint. He snuggled up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and bringing his hands up to her breasts, caressing her and moaning in her ear – something lewd about a certain part of her anatomy._

'_Neal, can you not take no for an answer?' she mumbled half-heartedly _

'_Are you saying 'no' to me?' he said, teasing her 'I can't hear you'_

_He continued nuzzling her, kissing her neck and pulling her insistently away from the canvas she'd been working on. Michelle giggled and suddenly gave up, dropping the paintbrush and letting him pull her down onto the floor to have his way with her. The painting could wait._

Although they had been together barely a few months and despite the fact that it was so long ago, she looked fondly at Neal as he lay there realizing she had very happy memories of that simpler time. How had her life gotten so off track, she wondered. Meeting Brad had been the beginning of a nightmare and she thought back to all those years she spent with the jerk as he undermined her self-esteem, treating her like trash and finally leaving her in a pile of shame and regret as he moved on to another unsuspecting woman half her age. Neal, on the other hand, looked like a decent man; he had surely worked hard to get what he had – a good job, a beautiful wife and two great kids. She suddenly felt sleazy and dirty for agreeing to con him and ruin his life. All for a few baubles...

She continued to look down at him, running her hand through his hair and wondering what life might have been like if they'd stayed together – would she be the one to have his undying love and devotion and two beautiful children that looked like the two of them.

She checked the time. It wouldn't be long before Sara arrived and her job was to make sure Sara got an eyeful when she entered the room. Anyone taking the time to look carefully would be able to see that Neal was drugged and unresponsive but Keller was confident Sara would take one very quick look at the situation, draw her erroneous conclusion and leave immediately.

WCWCWC

Sara made her way to the Plaza Hotel; it was close to ten o'clock and the streets of Manhattan were buzzing as usual. She sat in the back of the cab, wondering what she'd find when she got there. Was this some misguided grand romantic gesture on Neal's part to get her to listen to his version of the events from the last few days? Who else would be instructing her to meet her husband? Was it his fancy piece flaunting their affair in her face? That train of thought was interrupted abruptly by some clearer thinking part of her brain – Neal with another woman just didn't make sense. Elizabeth was right; whatever Neal was, he was loyal to those he loved. He had always stood by her through the ups and downs of the past six years – her getting pregnant quite by accident, her bout with cancer and all the day to day not so sexy humdrum tempo of domestic life. Neal always saw the glass as half full; he was an optimist at heart and although she knew that like all couples, they were not immune to drifting apart over time, she was convinced that he would be honest and open if he felt himself drifting away from her and their marriage.

At least, she had always thought so; she was about to find out just how well she knew her husband.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The lobby of the Plaza Hotel was quiet when Sara arrived at 10:20. She hadn't been there since that conference on recovery strategies that Sterling Bosch had held there two years ago. It was certainly a very posh hotel and she wondered if Neal had gotten a room here to surprise her – if so, he was going to spend the night alone on a very expensive mattress because she was nowhere near just forgiving and forgetting. The events of the last twenty four hours had forced her out of her shell and although she was still feeling sad and detached from her everyday life, the present situation had spurred her into action. The children needed her and, in Neal's absence, she'd had no choice but to step up to the plate and do her job as a mom. With or without Neal, she would find a way to get better; Liam deserved a mom who loved him and cared for him and she was determined to give him just that.

The constant pushing and pulling continued in Sara's mind as she replayed her conversation with Elizabeth and her friend's reassuring words about Neal's loyalty and devotion. Sara was suddenly reminded of an incident that had occurred early on in their relationship when she was pregnant with Hope. She was eight months along, feeling rather dumpy and unattractive. She had made her way over to the White Collar Unit to surprise Neal for lunch when she'd spotted him chatting with a very pretty blond clerk from the office. She'd eavesdropped on the conversation as she waited to make her presence known and she heard Neal, politely yet firmly, let the young woman know that he was involved in a monogamous relationship, that he was thrilled to be having a baby and that he had no interest in her, all the while charming her and leaving her with her pride intact. As he'd turned and spotted Sara nearby, he'd hurried over, taking her in his arms, making her feel like a million bucks and finally introducing her, bursting with pride, to the young clerk.

Over the past five years, she'd seen that scenario played over and over again as Neal continued to be the charming, debonair gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly – especially female flies – but had a way of letting all those wannabe Caffrey girlfriends down easy.

She walked nervously to the elevator bank and resolutely pressed the up button. If Neal wanted to talk, she might be inclined to listen but she still had too many questions to just gloss over Neal's reckless behavior. Even if he was guilty of nothing more than being impulsive and naive, it was unacceptable that he had not told her about this woman's sudden appearance in his life. More than anything, what irked Sara was that this woman had been inside their home, having dinner with her husband and children while she was struggling with feelings of depression and inadequacy at the Burke house. What had Neal been thinking? He hadn't thought much about anything, obviously, since that trollop had even been in their daughter's bedroom, tucking her in and educating her on the sensitive issue of divorce! Anger rose once again and she had to remind herself that Neal's lack of impulse control, his worse feature, was also what made her love him so much; Neal was always ready to leap into any situation for those he loved, no matter the risk to himself. Dammit, why were relationships so complicated?

The elevator dinged and Sara stepped in, nervously pushing the number eight and taking a deep breath as it started to move. What was she going to find in room 806, she wondered, suddenly anxious.

WCWCWC

The bed he was lying in seemed to move underneath him as Neal drifted in and out of consciousness. He felt nauseous and confused and he wasn't sure where he was or what he was doing there. He could have sworn he'd heard Matthew Keller's voice earlier and he attempted to pull himself up onto his elbow to get out of the bed, his body immediately giving out and forcing him to fall back down. All he knew was that he needed to get home to Sara and the kids; they needed him and he had to find a way to get back. He could see Michelle looking down on him and he tried to speak, without success, before he blacked out once again.

WCWCWC

Peter Burke stepped into the house dragging a tired Satchmo behind him. Lately, the dog had begun to slow down and seemed to get tired more quickly when he walked him. They were _both_ getting older, Peter realized, but that was still no reason to let up on him; both he and Satchmo needed their daily walk.

He strolled over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator in search of a beer, finally making his way over to the couch to watch a little bit of the game before hitting the sack. Elizabeth wasn't here to nag him about putting his feet up on the coffee table or putting his beer down on the table without a coaster so he did both simultaneously with a small smile on his lips. He thought about the mess Neal had gotten himself into with this woman; it wasn't the first time his partner exercised poor judgement when it came to the fairer sex. The ex-con was a chick magnet, had always been and he seemed to relish the effect he had on women. Peter couldn't count the number of times he'd had to rein him in on a case as Neal became captivated with some pretty young lady or another – hell, he had even hit on Diana in the beginning. Of course, since he'd married Sara, Neal had worked hard to tone down the charm but he would always be Neal effen Caffrey, irresistible con-man extraordinaire Peter thought with just a touch of envy.

And of course, Neal was famous for his impulsive and spontaneous reactions to people and situations, always acting with good intentions although things didn't always work out quite the way he planned. He reflected on all the cases they'd been on where Neal dove in head first not thinking about possible dangers to himself. He had no doubt as to Neal's devotion to Sara but he also knew how easily his partner could dig a hole for himself and he resolved to stay well away from any domestic issues in the Caffrey marriage unless Neal specifically asked for his advice. And even then...

There was no denying that Peter was proud of Neal, like anyone would be proud of a baby brother's accomplishments and he admired him for overcoming obstacles and making good on his life. Ever since Neal had been off anklet, he had (mostly) been a model citizen. Sure, he still hung around Mozzie, helping him out on small time capers from time to time but even Moz had mellowed over the years and had become more a nuisance to Peter than any real menace. Neal had proven to Peter that he could be trusted and despite evidence to the contrary, Peter knew without a shred of doubt that his partner had his back and would always have his back. But getting involved in Neal's domestic life was where Peter drew the line. Peter had learned over time – lots and lots of time – how to keep his wife happy and he lived and died by the saying: 'Happy wife, happy life' - that included feet off the furniture and coasters for his beer bottle whenever El was around.

Neal, on the other hand, although he was madly in love with his wife, seemed to always get himself into complicated situations. If there was a simple trajectory from A to B, you could be certain that Neal would opt for the more convoluted path. Luckily, there was unshakeable trust in that marriage as evidenced by Sara's reaction to the numerous women who had literally thrown themselves at Neal over the years. It took a strong, confident woman like Sara Ellis to overcome any doubts as to her husband's loyalty and devotion and Neal had proven himself on both counts.

Unfortunately, Peter could see that Sara's present situation made her much more vulnerable and he hoped that somehow Neal wouldn't choose this moment to mess up. Sara's usual panache and confidence were missing in action at the moment and she would be apt to react much differently to any perceived lack of fidelity on Neal's part.

By 11:30, he was starting to nod off and he took a cursory look around the place, checking that the doors were locked and the stove was turned off before making his way to his lonely bed. He hated it when Elizabeth wasn't curled up next to him and he never slept quite as soundly when she wasn't there. He walked over to his phone, intending to plug it in for the night when he noticed that he had a message.

WCWCWC

Michelle Young looked around the suite Matthew Keller had provided for her and let out a long sigh. This guy must really hate Neal to do this to him, she thought. Here she was in a beautiful room in downtown Manhattan with a gorgeous man next to her in bed yet it was all wrong. She suddenly had the urge to run; she just couldn't wait to grab her stuff and leave town. She had no interest in seeing the fallout from what was about to take place and the faster she got out of there the better. Once Sara came – and presumably went – she would pack her stuff and head back to her little, boring life in Chicopee away from all this drama. She wondered what would happen to Neal and Sara once she and Keller left town. Would they ever get their marriage back on track? Or was the damage she was about to inflict on the couple irrevocable and definitive leading to a parting of the ways? And what about those cute kids, how would they cope with an eventual separation?

She thought of how it might have played out differently if she had bumped into Neal without pretense or plotting. He might have even introduced her to Sara and the kids, maybe had her over for dinner with his family... she was certain she would have liked to get to know Sara under those circumstances. As it was, she was about to shatter this woman's life for good by convincing her that her faithful and loyal husband was cheating on her. It wouldn't be long now, she realized, as she made certain that Neal was in the proper position – on his back – and she climbed up on top of him, laying her head on his chest as she waited. She looked at his face and Neal's eyes opened and widened in horror at the sight of her in his arms. He struggled but the drug he had ingested made his attempts seem pathetic as he continued lying there, powerless. At the right time, she would place his limp arms around her and kiss him as she straddled him creating a visual that Sara would never forget.

A timid knock was heard and the door opened slowly.

'Neal, are you in here?' a woman's voice asked

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Sara slowly opened the door to room 806 and peeked in hesitantly, unsure of what – or who – she'd find inside.

'Neal? Are you in here?' she repeated, softly

The room was dark except for a soft light emanating from the lamp by the bed and Sara began to make her way towards it like a firefly inexplicably attracted to light. As her eyes adjusted to the muted lighting, she could make out some movement on the bed and in one split second, the image became clear as she saw a blonde woman, straddling her husband and kissing him, Neal under her, thrashing, seemingly enjoying the moment.

Sara's hand went to her mouth in a useless attempt to stifle the loud noise that escaped her lips and the woman turned to look directly into her eyes, defiantly staring her down. Neal's eyes fluttered open, unfocussed and through his foggy mind, he caught a glimpse of his wife, attempting to call her name, his voice coming out no more that a croak.

Within seconds, Sara was once again in the hallway of the eighth floor, back pressed against the door to the room where she had just confirmed her worse fears and tears began to fall, unbidden and unrestrained. She ran away as fast as her shaking legs could carry her.

WCWCWC

Michelle Young rose from the bed and took one last longing look at her ex-boyfriend lying helplessly on the bed. Neal was moaning, struggling to get up, his muscles not cooperating in any way as each attempt was greeted with failure. He was becoming more and more conscious as the drug started to fade from his system, leaving him confused and frustrated as his body failed to cooperate with his drug addled mind.

Within minutes, Michelle had thrown her things into a suitcase and was ready to go. She had no interest in waiting around for Neal to become completely conscious and to witness his realisation of the extent of her betrayal.

She bent down and gently kissed him 'I'm sorry Neal, for everything' she said as she turned to go, leaving Neal even more confused as his mind struggled to make sense of what was happening around him.

Matthew Keller was waiting for her when she stepped into his room, a satisfied smile on his face as he handed her the non-descript brown envelope brimming with her ill-gotten reward money.

She reluctantly grabbed the envelope from his hand choosing not to look into his evil eyes. She couldn't get away fast enough as the immorality of what she'd done began to hit her. She had managed, in the space of a few days, to dismantle a family piece by piece – taking advantage of a woman's vulnerability and a man's kindness to destroy everything they had built over a period of years. She felt dirty and disgusting and she wondered, in passing, how she had become this person.

'You sure you don't want to spend the night here with me?' asked Keller as he ran his hand up her arm towards her face

Michelle stepped back, interrupting the movement 'You disgust me!' she spit more than said as she stared him down

'Now, now, Michelle, I do believe this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black' he said with a smarmy sneer

Michelle turned to leave, Keller's words echoing in her ears.

WCWCWC

It was well past midnight when Peter parked his car in the visitor's parking lot of the Plaza Hotel. Whatever mess Neal was in this time, Peter seemed to have gotten himself right in the middle of it, compliments of his wife.

The door to room 806 was slightly ajar and even from the hallway, Peter could hear Neal moaning, calling out for Sara in a somewhat impaired tone of voice. He pushed the door open to find Neal in bed struggling to push himself up, his body most uncooperative.

'Neal!' he called out

'Oh, Pe'er, thank God' Neal said, his words slurred and his voice uneven

'What the hell happened?' Peter asked as he made his way to his partner

'I dunno...' said Neal, frowning as he struggled to talk

Peter made his way to Neal, helping him sit on the edge of the bed and noticing how he immediately began to wilt, his muscles barely able to keep him vertical.

'Who did this to you?' Peter asked as he tried to establish a semblance of eye contact with Neal whose eyes were half closed and seemingly unresponsive

'Mi-helle gave me a driiiink' he said with emphasis

'We've got to get you to the hospital' Peter said as he continued to try to keep Neal upright

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no' answered Neal, stuttering. He was pretty sure he had meant to say 'no' just once.

'Neal, someone drugged you and we need to get a tox screen so we can figure out what we're dealing with here' Peter said

'Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter. I need... see Sara ... Sara maaaad' the last word accentuated as if he was a two year old who would be scolded by his mom

'First things first' said Peter, trying to tug Neal to his feet only to have him collapse in a heap at his feet like a slippery eel

'I'll call for an ambulance' he said, finally

'No, no. Juss help me.. 'm fine' insisted Neal, struggling to stay upright

'You're fine' Peter repeated, mocking him

'Need to...call Sara...' Neal said, trying to steady himself by grabbing on to Peter's lapel

'Yyyyeah, don't think so, buddy. Not sure she wants to talk to you in this state' Peter answered

'Mi-helle, bed...' Neal mumbled unable to formulate more than partial sentences

'Was she in bed with you?' he asked

Neal nodded emphatically. 'Sara... Sara...'

'Was Sara here?' asked Peter as the pieces started to fall into place

Again Neal nodded as if they were playing a high stakes version of charades.

'Oh, shit!' exclaimed Peter

Neal continued to nod as he pointed to Peter in a gesture which said: finally, you're getting the picture.

'Come on, buddy. We'll get this sorted out, okay? Just lean on me' said Peter as he slipped his arm under Neal's shoulder encouraging him to take a step. Neal turned towards his partner, his nose barely two inches away from Peter's.

'Looove you' he said with a goofy smile on his lips

'Okay, Neal. Let's save that for later' said Peter as he dragged him away

WCWCWC

Sara arrived home to find Elizabeth pacing the living room, her eyes wild when she finally saw her friend step into the house.

'What happened?' she asked, unable to contain her question one moment longer

Sara's face was red and puffy and although the tears had momentarily subsided, it was obvious the respite would be short lived as her lower lip began to quiver once again heralding the arrival of fresh as yet unshed tears.

'What do you think happened?' she answered, her voice shaking 'I found Neal in bed with his floozy'

Elizabeth made her way to her friend, taking her arm and guiding her towards the back of the house so she could sit her down at the kitchen table. She ran to the cabinet where she knew the Caffreys kept some wine and spirits and grabbed the bottle of scotch, bringing it to the table and pouring them each a healthy shot.

Sara began to blubber as she spoke: 'They were in bed! Together! Making out!'

'Oh, no! Are you sure you're not mistaken?' asked Elizabeth, unable to compute the information she was hearing

Sara glared at her – if looks could kill.

'No' she responded, sarcastically despite her despair 'It was Kermit and Miss Piggy! Of course, I'm sure, Elizabeth!' she screamed, losing her cool

'Shhhh, calm down, the kids are asleep' Elizabeth reminded her

At that moment, nothing mattered to Sara, her husband had been unfaithful to her and their marriage was over and all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and never come out.

She sobbed as she put her face in her hands.

WCWCWC

The emergency room was quiet by the time the men made it there a little after 2:00. It was a slow night, it seemed, and Peter made his way to triage, flashing his badge.

'Agent Peter Burke, FBI' he said, in case the woman behind the desk couldn't read what he was shoving in her face

'It's an emergency. I need a tox screen on one of our agents' he said, conceding his loose interpretation of the term 'agent'

The nurse looked up at Peter as she began to assess the situation, trying to mentally situate this new emergency among the other cases she was prioritizing.

'Have a seat' she said

'No, you don't understand. Some of these drugs can leave the system quickly and we need an ID on this drug ASAP. It's a criminal case and the possibility of prosecuting the perpetrator is hanging in the balance' he fibbed

It wasn't far from the truth – Neal had been drugged against his will and with dire consequences – although mostly to his marriage. A tox screen would not identify the culprit although Peter hoped that Neal would be able to shed some light in that regard once he regained all of his faculties. At the moment, he could see Neal trying to remain seated nearby although he seemed to be slowly slipping off the chair Peter had precariously perched him on.

'Let me see what I can do' she finally said, sensing Peter's panic

Within five minutes, Neal was moved to an examination room and a blood sample was taken from him. He had gone from moaning Sara's name to singing it, over and over trying to get it to rhyme – something he was having very poor success with: mara, dara, para, cara.

Although his muscle control seemed to be slightly improving, he continued to whine and moan, obviously disconsolate although for the moment, he had thankfully stopped imploring Peter incessantly to let him call Sara. Although the details were sketchy, Neal had a hunch that whatever had happened, he _had_ to make things right with his wife.

Peter stepped out for a moment, mostly to get away from Neal's ear splitting lamentations, but also to fill Elizabeth in on what was happening.

Elizabeth stepped away from the Caffreys' kitchen table to take Peter's call. Sara was practically lying on the table, heartbroken, as she stepped away hoping for some encouraging news.

'Hi hon' Peter said with a sigh, happy to talk to someone who wasn't whining in his ear

'Peter, what's going on? I've got Sara in bits here' she said

'Well, I've got the other half of the twosome in pieces here too' answered Peter as he proceeded to explain the situation

Although Neal had once again gotten himself into this mess, they had to admit that what Sara had witnessed had not been totally within his control and Peter and Elizabeth discussed ways of bringing the two of them together to try to patch things up. It would take some doing but the Burkes knew Neal and Sara well and they were beginning to see that circumstances and some devious plotting – which still hadn't been completely accounted for – had conspired to bring them to this point.

El hung up, returning to Sara who had not moved from her spot at the table and who continued to sob loudly.

'Neal's at the hospital' Elizabeth announced, hoping to elicit a sympathetic response from Sara

'What?' asked Sara, visibly worried as her anger and hurt seemed to dissipate somewhat at the thought of Neal being hurt

'He's asking for you' added Elizabeth (that part was true)

'Is he hurt?' Sara asked, her voice filled with concern

Elizabeth felt a small twinge of guilt at the manipulation although she was convinced, as was Peter, that if they could just get these two in the same room, talking, that would be a first step towards reconciliation.

'He's in a bad way' she said simply, not exactly a lie although not quite the truth

'What should I do?' asked Sara, obviously torn between her hurt and anger and her concern for the man she loved more than anything

'What do you want to do?' asked Elizabeth

'I want to see my husband' said Sara as she stood and made her way to the door

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

_Last chapter of this story; hope you have enjoyed it! Thanks to everyone for comments and reviews. As requested by DesperateSoulH , an intimate sexy moment between Neal and Sara. _

_I hope to see you soon for a new adventure featuring our favorite couple._

**Chapter 14**

'Well, we have positive identification on the drug your partner ingested' said the doctor as he returned to the cubicle that presently doubled as Neal's concert hall

The doctor's words snapped Neal out of his aria and he looked from Peter to the man in the white lab coat as he struggled to understand what was being said.

'It's Rohypnol; it's a well known 'date rape' drug' he continued as he made his way to further examine Neal

'Wai, wai, wai, wai, wait' said Neal as he tried to push him away 'Can a _man_ be...? Raped?'

'It's possible – but unlikely. I can examine you, if you like and see if you've ejaculated in the last few hours' the doctor said, hoping to reassure his patient. 'Although it seems absurd, men can be forced to have sex just as easily as women; anyone could take advantage of an unconscious man's aroused state'

Neal looked at the doctor in horror. What if he'd unknowingly had sex with Michelle while he was in bed with her? He didn't know how he could ever forgive himself for that or how he would ever explain it to Sara.

'Please' said Neal, his words still slurred 'Need to know'

Suddenly, he didn't feel so well and he signaled Peter to pass him the basin that was nearby. He threw up violently and Peter took a step back as Neal looked up at his friend, eyes pleading.

'Nausea is common with Rohypnol, as is confusion, problems speaking, dizziness, loss of muscle control and loss of consciousness. Do you remember being out?' asked the doctor

Neal nodded as he recalled drifting in and out of consciousness. He remembered Michelle talking to him, kissing him and laying with him in the bed and he had a vague recollection of seeing Sara in the room but he couldn't be sure about anything and he began to feel very upset at the lack of details he was able to recover.

'Look, another couple of hours and the effects will totally dissipate. Sometimes, people remember certain details when their mind is clearer. Would you like me to examine you, just in case?' the doctor asked

'Yes. Please' said Neal; he just couldn't live with himself not knowing so Peter retreated outside the room while the doctor carried out an examination.

Peter took advantage of the few minutes of respite to call Elizabeth who informed him that Sara was on her way to the hospital. Peter hoped that Neal was sufficiently coherent to have a discussion with his wife when she arrived; hopefully, they weren't making things worse by throwing the feuding couple together.

Upon examination, the news was reassuring and Neal took a deep breath as relief flooded over him. As his confusion began to dissipate, more orderly, coherent thoughts began to return and his mind focussed once again on the urgency he was feeling to explain what had happened to Sara.

Unbeknownst to him, Sara was arriving at the hospital, rather breathless, still ambivalent, feelings teetering between anger at Neal and worry for his wellbeing and she asked to be directed to his room.

'You mean _Agent_ Caffrey?' asked the nurse as Sara frowned – Peter must have had to be creative to have Neal seen as soon as possible. She nodded.

'Go ahead, cubicle 4A' she said, pointing

Peter was pacing nearby as she made her way over, concern now overriding her fury by a margin of two to one.

'What happened?' she said as she finally caught up with Peter

'Neal was drugged' he said, simply

'What? Oh my God! Is he alright?' she asked, alarmed

'He's with the doctor. He's starting to come out of it' answered Peter

'I want to see him' she said, concern flooding her eyes

Peter pointed to the room in question as Sara charged in, without hesitation.

She could see the doctor hovering over Neal who was doing his best to sit up unassisted and she made her way to him as Neal took in the sight of his wife, his face visibly relieved.

'Neal!' she said as she threw her arms around him

'Oh, Sara. I'm so glad you're here' he answered as he tried to remain upright, hanging on to her for dear life so he wouldn't fall off

'Mrs. Caffrey?' the doctor presumed 'Your husband was given a healthy dose of Rohypnol and he's just coming out of it. He's still confused and nauseous but from what I've seen, he'll be fine within a couple of hours'

Sara smiled at the news as she continued to assist Neal in sitting upright on the narrow bed.

'Sara... I'm soooo sorry' he said trying to gauge her reaction and keeping his puppy dog eyes riveted on hers

Sara sighed in relief, her annoyance at her husband's stupidity beginning to return.

'Look, we still have a lot to talk about but for now, I'm just glad you're okay' she said as she held him against her

Neal, who had yet to regain total control of his muscles, let himself melt into her body like a little boy being reassured by his forgiving mommy. Somewhere deep in his confused mind, he knew he had a lot of explaining to do but for now, it just felt good to have Sara beside him, holding him and comforting him.

WCWCWC

Neal was finally released from hospital and the threesome made their way to White Plains to a relieved Elizabeth who had thought ahead and prepared Hope and Liam for a visit with her and Peter to Brooklyn while their parents worked things out.

Neal and Sara sat, facing each other on their living room couch, Neal still somewhat foggy as they finally began to reconnect.

'First, tell me how _you're_ feeling' said Neal as he took Sara's hand

'How do you think I'm feeling, Neal?' said Sara in her usual no nonsense way 'I'm pissed at you, angry, but relieved. I'm torn between wanting to hit you and kiss you'

'So, we're back to normal then?' Neal asked in an attempt at making her smile. 'Look, I'll take the slap if I can get the kiss later' he added, looking intently at his wife

Sara rolled her eyes at his effort at humor; it was just like Neal to try to deflect from the situation.

'I started on the medication' she said sheepishly, wanting Neal to know that she was anxious to start feeling better

'Oh, that's great news, Sara. I'm so glad' said Neal, running his hands up and down her arms

'Well, it'll take a while to take effect but let's just say the events of the last twenty four hours have taken my mind of how I'm feeling...'

'Sara, we'll work things out, you'll see' added Neal

She looked at her husband, wanting to believe him. 'Well, start talking Neal' she finally said 'I want to hear everything and I do mean _everything_'

Neal took a deep breath. The time had come to admit to his wife how stupid and naive he'd been and how he'd let a stranger barge right into their lives and almost ruin everything they had worked so hard for all these years. He took his time, revealing every detail and explaining what Sara had seen in each of the photographs. When he got to the part where he was stupid enough to over imbibe and go up to Michelle's hotel room, his voice grew quiet as he, himself, had trouble believing he could have been that foolish.

'Neal, for a guy who spent a good part of his life working so hard to con people, how could you be so naive when it comes to others playing you?' asked Sara

Neal shook his head; he couldn't explain it himself. He always thought the best of others and he took almost everything at face value – especially when a beautiful woman was involved.

Finally he came to the part where he had to confess his temptation to stray, albeit for a brief moment. If he didn't fess up, he felt like he was not only being dishonest with Sara but also with himself.

'Sara, I let her kiss me and I... I was... tempted. I felt alone and it felt good to have someone touch me that way. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... I should have been stronger' Neal said, his voice full of regret

Sara listened intently as he spoke. She could see the pain in Neal's eyes, those pools of aquamarine, beginning to fill with tears.

'But in the end...?' she said her voice trailing

'I told her that I loved you and that you were all that mattered to me. But then, she handed me that drink and I stupidly drank it, not thinking that she would ever stoop to drugging me. Sara, someone else has to be behind this...'

Neal was interrupted by a knock at the door and Sara got up to answer. She was stunned to see Michelle Young standing on her doorstep, looking dejected nothing like the look she had given her as she loomed seductively over Neal in the hotel room.

'Sara, I'm Michelle' she said, her eyes downcast and embarrassed 'Could I please come in. I'd like to talk to you'

Sara stared at the woman and despite her obvious anger she stepped aside, inviting her in. Michelle spotted Neal on the couch and she strolled over to where he was sitting.

'Neal, are you alright? I'm so sorry for what happened. You didn't deserve what I did to you' she admitted, mortified

Neal just looked at her without emotion, disappointment at his ex-girlfriend rising in him. Michelle turned to Sara, as she nervously wrung her hands.

'Sara, I really came to see you. I owe you – and Neal – an explanation... and an apology. First of all, you need to know that, although I tried my best to seduce him, Neal pushed me away. He loves you very much and he told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was devoted to you and to your children. You're very lucky to have a husband like Neal. He's very concerned about your well-being and although he was discreet, it was my job to dig and I know you're going through a hard time right now'

Sara glared at Neal, disappointed that he would share such an intimate part of their life with a perfect stranger.

Michelle continued 'I was _hired_ to break you two up'

Neal rose, rather unsteadily as she spoke.

'Hired? By who?' he asked, suddenly intrigued

'Matthew Keller. He came looking for me and he paid me to come to New York and interfere with your marriage' Michelle admitted, feeling somewhat relieved that the truth was finally coming out

Neal and Sara exchanged shocked looks. Keller had been a continuous thorn in Neal's side ever since they had parted ways years ago and his unhealthy obsession with Neal and his life was beyond belief.

'Keller?' Neal said 'He paid you to come and toy with me like that?'

'Look, I'm not proud of what I did, Neal, but I was telling the truth when I told you I'd had a hard life. When Keller found me and offered me cash to do this, it seemed like a lark. That is, until I saw that look of horror on your face, Sara, when you found me in bed with Neal. All of a sudden, I realized what you have is real and I couldn't just leave and let you think, somehow, that Neal had been unfaithful to you. He's one of the good guys, Sara; I meant it when I said you're lucky. And then, when I got to the train station, I couldn't stop thinking about what this would do to your daughter and to little Liam. They're beautiful kids and they don't deserve to have their family torn apart over a lie'

She stopped, looking from Neal to Sara as what she was relating began to sink in.

Neal finally spoke: 'I'd like to say it was nice to see you again, Michelle but... I think you've done enough damage. Please leave'

She nodded, smiled a small embarrassed smile at Sara and turned to leave.

'Thank you' she said 'For giving me a chance to explain'

And suddenly she was gone as quickly as she'd come.

WCWCWC

The following weeks were tense as Neal and Sara worked through the aftermath of what had happened. Sara stuck with the medication Dr. Cooper had prescribed and she slowly began to feel better and the first time Neal saw her laughing spontaneously as she tickled Hope, he somehow knew she would be alright.

They went to couples counselling and both were given tips on how to weather the present storm. Inevitably, the situation with Michelle and their trust issues were discussed as the couple worked hard to find their way back to each other. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, the faith they had in each other had been shaken and it would take time to re-build to the previous level of unfaltering confidence they'd had in each other.

The intimacy between them, which had been nonexistent for weeks, had begun to return gradually as the trust between them increased. They spoke candidly and openly and Sara began to open up to Neal, allowing for physical closeness to come back, bit by bit.

'Are you sure you're up to this?' Neal asked, his voice quiet, as they lay in bed one night

Sara had shared her eagerness to resume their sex life after a few months of estrangement and Neal was nervous, wanting to be up to the task and not push his wife into something she wasn't quite ready for. Over the past few weeks, they had gotten closer, inching their way towards a full reconciliation but Sara had remained hesitant and Neal had been patient and loving as he waited for his wife to be truly willing and able to enjoy intimacy again.

Sara leaned in over Neal, kissing him languidly as she ran her hands over his chest.

'Very sure' she said, her voice strong yet sultry

'I love you Sara' said Neal, gazing into her eyes 'And I want you so badly'

'I'm yours, Neal' she responded, kissing him more intensely this time

'Thank God for that' he said, breathless 'I'm so sorry...' he began, his voice emotionally charged

'Shh' she responded as she whispered in his ear 'It's over, it's all over. Make love to me'

Neal turned towards her, overcome with emotion and love for this incredible woman who somehow always believed in him despite his imperfections and his faults. Her words of encouragement hit Neal like a ton of bricks and he began to move his hands urgently against her body. He kissed her neck, bringing his lips down to gently caress her breasts and letting his hands roam down to encircle her hips. He began to slowly move against her as Sara responded immediately, pulling him to her between her long, lean legs. The rhythm gradually increased and Sara moaned gently as she felt him against her, enjoying the closeness she had been avoiding for so long. The time was right, the moment had arrived for her to give herself fully to the man she loved, the man who had proven once again that he was committed to being with her and only her.

'I'm sorry I doubted you...' she said as his mouth sought hers, interrupting her

He pulled back to look into her eyes, his face full of emotion: 'I think that's enough talking, don't you?'

Sara smiled in agreement as her lips returned to his in a lingering kiss.

La fin


End file.
